


Because of You

by chochowilliams



Series: Building A Family [6]
Category: Gravitation
Genre: Angst, Death, Drama, F/M, Fantasy, Language, M/M, Male Slash, Romance, m-preg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-08
Updated: 2012-11-26
Packaged: 2017-11-18 05:53:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 118,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/557609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chochowilliams/pseuds/chochowilliams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It is six years later and while Shuichi has moved on with his life, there are those who have not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. News & Regrets

**Because of You**  
 **Sequel to:** “This I Promise You”  
 **Building a Family series**  
 **Written by:** Chochowilliams  
 **Disclaimer:** I do not own _Gravitation_ or the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.  
 **Summary:** It is six years later and while Shuichi has moved on with his life, there are those who have not.  
 **Warning:** M/M, M/F, Sexual Situations, Romance, Angst, Drama, Fantasy, OOC, Language, M-Preg, OCs, Japan Natives: Surname first  
 **Pairings:** Shuichi/Eiri, Hiro/Ayaka, Hiro/Suguru, Tatsuha/Ryuichi, OMC/OFC  
 **Inserts:** Scene from Gravitation manga, “Because of You”, by Kelly Clarkson  
 **A/N:** This is the sixth installment in the Building A Family series. In order they are: “Parental Revenge”, “In the Closet”, “Give In To Me”, “My Heart Beats Like A Drum”, _This I Promise You, Because of You,_ “Limelight”. Originally, there were 30 chapters plus an epilogue, but I combined the chapters to make the longer and there is now 13 chapters total. Enjoy!

 

* * *

 

_I will not make the same mistakes that you did_  
 _I will not let myself_  
 _Cause my heart so much misery_  
 _I will not break the way you did,_  
 _You fell so hard_  
 _I’ve learned the hard way_  
 _To never let it get that far_  
 _Because of you_  
 _I never stray too far from the sidewalk_  
 _Because of you_  
 _I learned to play on the safe side so I don’t get hurt_  
 _Because of you_  
 _I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me_  
 _Because of you_  
 _I am afraid_

- **“Because of You”, by Kelly Clarkson**

 

* * *

 

**Chapter 1: The News and Regrets**

**Six Years Later - August – Uesugi-Shindou Household - Nara, Japan**

At an ungodly hour, the mansion appeared to be as silent as a tomb, but on closer inspection, soft snoring could be heard from the master suite. The rustling of sheets as someone tossed and turned in their sleep floated down the hall from another bedroom. Light seeped out from under the closed door at the end of the hallway. The sound of soft, but incessant tapping of keys echoed in the silence of the home.

While his family slept, Shindou Shuichi worked on the story of his life.

It was something he had been thinking about doing for quite a while now. Eiri would never write an autobiography or allow anyone else to write one about him, because little bits of his life were always showing up in his stories. When a new Nittle Grasper biography came out shortly after Bad Luck retired six years ago, everybody started wondering about a Bad Luck biography.

One by one, all six members of Bad Luck were approached and one by one, they all turned the offer down. None of them wanted anything to do with a biography. Bad Luck had been about the music, not about using events that may or may not have happened in order to out sell Nittle Grasper, even though K did just that on several occasions. What happened outside of the music was of no one's concern and they all wanted to keep it that way, especially now that most of them--the exception being Kei and Kai, of course--had families. They wanted to keep their children safe from scorn and ridicule and keep them, most of all, out of the spot light as much as possible. They wanted to give their children as much of a normal life as they could.

Of course, that had not been the end of that, as much as they all hoped it would be. It was not more than a month later when Eiri heard rumors through his editor, Mizuki Kanna, about an unauthorized biography in the works. Eiri used his connections and influence to put a stop to that right away.

But, unlike the others, Shuichi had not drifted off into obscurity. He was, after all, the famous gay front man who was having an illicit affair with the one and only Yuki Eiri. Now they were “married” and had children. It seemed like there was always something in the tabloids about them. It all has to be rather redundant after a while, because it was the same crap every time, but people ate every little bit of it up.

One time, Shuichi lost his wedding ring while doing the dishes and the press had a field day. Rumors of a divorce spread like wild fire. The tabloids claimed they had been given copies of the divorce papers from a “reliable source close to the couple” that listed the reason as “infidelity”. They even had a “confession” from one of Eiri's “mistresses”. Bunch of idiots conveniently forgot that it was not legal for same sex couples to marry in Japan, so even if Eiri and he did split, there would be no divorce papers to sign. The ceremony they had in the living room of their old apartment had been a civil union, a promise made to each other, which was what a marriage ceremony was. It just was not recognized in the eye of the law, but why nitpick?

Another time, Shuichi tripped over Keitaro and Kane--who, like usual, were wrestling in the middle of the living room--and ended up bashing the side of his face against the coffee table. Of course, a huge bruise formed and rumors of Eiri being physically abusive spread like wildfire.

The most annoying part of the tabloids had to be dealing with family and friends who storm over acting as if they were the ones who had been wronged, demanding to know what the hell was going on. Talk about redundancy. You would think they would have learned by now that all the shit the press flung around were nothing but lies.

It was like the paparazzi had nothing better to do than to put one and one together and get five, but that was exactly what got him into really thinking about the offer made by Eiko Publishing, which happened to be the same company that published Eiri's books. With all this crap the press seemed to always get from “reliable sources close to the couple”, maybe it was time to set the record straight.

Another reason why he chose to write his own biography was because there were some things he had pushed to the back of his mind, things he purposefully decided to forget and not speak about, ever. These things he had not dealt with--being gang raped by Sourpuss was one of them; it was something he just wanted to forget had ever happened, but unfortunately, it was always there in the back of his mind, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Writing about an experience can help you get through things when all the kind, comforting words and touches do nothing but leave you feeling even more lifeless and out of touch with reality than before. It helps you express on paper what you could not admit either to yourself or to others. Writing about an experience or event lets you understand something you had never realized before. It allows you to delve into the deepest depths of your mind that you had neglected and start to untangle the snarled knots. Writing this autobiography would help to erase the pain, whether he had it published or not.

When Shuichi went to Eiri with the idea of writing an autobiography, the writer had not been too pleased. He expressly forbade Shuichi from going through with it. Eiri went so far as to call his publishing company and demand in no uncertain terms that they not publish anything they may receive from Shuichi, but Shuichi was unwavering about this. All he had to do was remind Eiri that there were tons of other publishing companies out there and all of them would kill to get their hands on a Shindou Shuichi autobiography. Eiri had been none too pleased about that either and had stormed off in an angry huff.

Writing the book was harder than he thought it would be. Some events he could not remember too clearly. Other times, he was not too sure who said what. But other things he could remember as clearly as if they just happened...

 

* * *

_After being chased out of the subway by a legion of crazy fans, I found myself at my rival's apartment, who ironically enough, was now my savior. I owed him big time. Who knew what would have happened if he had not been there?_

_“Hey, thanks for coming to my rescue, Sourpuss! I was wrong about you! You're not so bad after all,” I slurred drunkenly._

_Aizawa laughed and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. “Thanks, Shindou-kun! It makes sense that we should be allies in this crazy business.”_

_“That was my first time being chased by a mob. I kind of liked it,” I laughed._

_We clink beer cans in a sort of toast._

_“Yeah,” Aizawa echoed. “Never gets old either!” The lead singer of Ask studied me for a moment. “It's fun being famous, isn't it?” he asked me with all trace of laughter gone, but there was still a hint of amusement in his voice._

_“I'd say so,” I agreed with a laugh, but then I really thought about that. Was it really all fun and games? My smile drooped and I placed my beer can down, swung my legs--that were going to sleep--out from under my butt. “There's a downside,” I admitted truthfully. “When you're famous, everyone is watching you. Still…I realized something today. You always have to hide. Even to just go to the movies or to get groceries. Or when you're dating…” I dropped my face into my hands, as a well of misery constricted my heart. My white button up shirt fell down around my arms, but I did not have the energy to fix it. “Why would anyone want to put themselves through that? No wonder celebrities always end up dating each other!”_

_“Let me guess…that Yuki cat dumped you, right?”_

_My body tensed. Slowly, I lifted my head and stared at him with wide eyes. I was stone cold sober now. What did he just say?_

_Aizawa smiled at me, but this time that smile was not as innocent as it was earlier. No, it was as sinister as it always had been. “Heh…Well, you know, he seemed like he was pretty hard to get along with anyway. It's hard enough to date in this insane lifestyle without the guy being a total pill, as well.”_

_I sat down with a hard flop and stared at him in shock and terror. “…How do you know about me and Yuki?” As soon as those words left my mouth, I realized that had been the wrong thing to say. I clasped my hand over my mouth, but it was too little too late._

_“I didn't really. I wasn't sure until you said that just now.” He stared at me behind a flop of his bangs, a sly smirk on his face. “I never would have thought you'd be that gullible.”_

_All I could think was, Oh, shit! People have always told me I have a tendency not to think and that that it would get me into trouble some day. As the door behind Aizawa opened with a silent flick, I had a bad feeling that day was now._

_“I can't wait to see the juicy exposé in all the tabloids!”_

_The door flew open to reveal two guys who could not be much older than I was. They both had smiles just as sly as the one on Aizawa's face. My heart started beating triple time in my chest. Terror froze me to the spot and stole my breath. I could do no more than stare at the men with wide horror filled eyes. Something told me I should get the hell out of there, but the link connecting my brain with the rest of my body had gone on its fifteen-minute break. I could do nothing._

_“Thanks for waiting guys,” I heard Aizawa say. His eyes never left mine. His smirk morphed into a sinister, self-satisfied expression. “It's time to earn those dollars. Take care of him.”_

_And before I knew what was happening, the men rushed me. The one with the long hair grabbed me from behind, pinning my arms behind my back with one arm. T he other hand covered my mouth._

_The one with the hat knelt in front of me. My eyes grew wide as sudden realization struck me. This was not happening! God, please, no! Please let this be a dream!_

_“Nnmph!”_

_In vain, I tried to free myself from their grasp, but their hold on me was too tight. The man kneeling in front of me slid one hand under my shirt, groping my chest and tweaking my nipple. I squirmed futilely. I did not want their filthy hands touching me! His other hand was teasing the button of my jeans…_

Shuichi threw himself from the desk and the laptop with a violent shudder. His chair rolled backwards and smashed against the wall with a loud thud. The jarring impact sent a jolt through his body.

He panted heavily, his chest rising and falling and his breathes coming in wheezing gasps. His pulse was racing. He could see them mocking and sneering at him, see that twisted gleam in their eyes and hear that insidious laughter. He could feel their cold, calloused hands as they ripped and tore him to shreds...

Shuichi swallowed repeatedly as bile filled his mouth. Feeling suddenly lightheaded, he dropped his head between his knees and took slow, even breathes. His whole body was shaking. Tears were overflowing from his eyes. He covered his head with his hands, squeezed his eyes shut and sobbed quietly as the ache and pain washed over him.

 

* * *

 

_Eiri opened the door and was greeted with an incredible sight._

_The master suite was enveloped by the soft glow of hundreds of candles. A strong, but sweet bouquet filled the air. The white gauze curtains danced gently in the night breeze that fluttered in through the open patio doors._  
 _Eiri's golden eyes swept across the master suite. His breath hitched. His eyes went wide. His pulse started to race. He licked suddenly dry lips. He was hard instantly as he gazed at the prone figure lying prostrate in the middle of the bed. Surrounded by a mound of pillows and atop the feather down quilt, the gorgeous pink gem on the left ring finger and the twin diamonds in his ears sparkled in the candle light._

_“Shuichi.”_

_Shuichi’s legs were bent, his knees pointing at the ceiling. His legs spread wide in invitation, displaying himself in all his fine, wanton glory. His black shiny locks fanned out around his head like a halo. Those incredible violet eyes sparkled and watched Eiri openly. Eiri’s own eyes shinned as they gazed at his husband._

_Unsure how he got there, in the next instant, Eiri found himself between Shuichi's legs, their hips grinding together, their twitching cocks locked together in an erotic dance. Eiri's hands were planted on either side of his husband's head holding the upper half of his body up. He felt Shuichi's small, slender hands gripping his upper arms tightly._

_His heart swelled as he took in the incredible man beneath him. He smiled down at the mother of his children._

_“I love you, Shuichi,” he whispered as he caressed the side of his lover's face._

_Shuichi beamed, his whole face glowing._

_Eiri lowered his head, holding his lips centimeters from his partner's soft, parted lips. He dipped his head, his face looming closer, closer, and…_

_A sudden cacophony of noise assailed the writer's senses. He flew off his husband, his heart in his throat as a stampede of elephants burst through the bedroom door with loud hyena cackles._

_“Daddy! Otokasan,” they screeched at the top of their lungs as the bedroom door burst open._

_Eiri cursed. Flopping on to his back, he drew the covers that had somehow pooled at the foot of the bed to cover Shuichi’s and his nakedness. He loved his children more than life itself and would gladly walk through the fires of hell for them. He would die to protect them, but was it so hard to have some alone time with his husband?_

_Kane and Keitaro raced to the foot of the bed, both screaming at the same time, each one trying to speak over the other._

_He stared at the ceiling as his sons’ screaming match escalated. He prayed to Buddha, to whichever god or spiritual being might be listening, to help him. Lifting his head, he propped up on his elbows and studied his boys._

_Kane, the youngest, had tears streaming down his pale face from golden hazel eyes. His long blond hair was mussed into a giant rat's nest. He was wearing jeans and a pink button down dress shirt. Eiri wondered dryly as his studied the boy, which parent he took after._

_Keitaro, on the other hand, was wearing a pair of tan kakis and a white stripped button down shirt. His spiky blond hair looked as if the kid had not bothered to comb it._

_Eiri groaned and rubbed his temples as the beginnings of a headache pulsed to life. As if things could not get any worse, above the screams of the twins was a sudden sharp, high-pitched wail from the nursery. Eiri sobbing pitifully to himself. Dammit all to hell. Now Kira was awake. There went the rest of his hopes of some alone time with Shuichi._

_Speaking of which, the brat had been uncharacteristically silent. Shuichi could not stay quiet to save his life, especially when it came to his children. The singer babied them within an inch of their lives. He turned towards his husband to ask for a little help…and blinked in surprise._

_Sitting up, he glanced around the room. “Shuichi?”_

_Shuichi was gone. His side of the bed was neatly made as if he had not just been there mere moments ago._

_Three set of lungs screaming like it was going out of fashion continued to resound through the house. Eiri's head was spinning. He could not think. Growling, Eiri yelled angrily, “Enough!”_

_Then everything was gone. Kane, Keitaro, Kira and their head splitting cries vanished. The bedroom with its candles and incense and bed piled high with so many pillows and a quilt so soft and fluffy, you sank in it--it was all gone. Then Eiri found himself in a sea of blackness. There was nothing but a black nothingness all around him._

_Before he could even contemplate what the hell was going on, something started tugging on his legs, yanking him downwards. There was nothing he could do to fight against the pull._

Eiri jerked awake, his body twitching with the impact of hitting ground that he could not remember, but knew had happened. Dripping in sweat, he stared wide eyed at the ceiling, panting heavily. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to regulate his breathing and slow his racing heartbeat.

Rubbing his face, he sighed and turned to gaze at his sleeping husband, one of his favorite pastimes, but like in his dream, the other side of the bed was still neatly made.

Eiri blinked stupidly and stared at the empty bed. Frowning, he flicked his gaze towards the clock. It was three in the morning. The first thing that popped into his head was that Shuichi went to check on the children, but when he noticed that the baby monitor was gone, Eiri knew that could mean only one thing.

Growling lightly, Eiri sat up, flung back the covers and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He started to push himself off the bed when he heard the door to the bedroom open with an unnaturally loud click in the absolute silence of the house.

“Daddy?” came the soft half-asleep voice.

Eiri recognized the voice immediately. “Kane, what're you doing up? Don't you have school in the morning?”

The boy threw open the door and raced across the room, his bare feet silent on the thick carpet. Shuichi braided Kane's long hair before the boys went to bed and it bounced against his back as he ran towards him. Eiri watched as his son crawled towards him, his nightgown getting caught under his knees a few times.

“Daddy,” Kane said as he sat in his father's lap. Golden hazel eyes locked together.

“What?” Eiri hugged his arms around his son loosely.

“Otokasan is crying in the study.”

Eiri blinked. “He's what?”

“I had to go potty and get a drink and I heard him crying.”

Eiri sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. “Damn,” he muttered. His suspicions had been right.

“Daddy?” Kane looked up at his father questioningly.

He knew this was going to happen. It was exactly why he was against the brat working on that damn autobiography. “You're getting heavy,” Eiri grunted as he stood up, with Kane in his arms. “Did you go potty?”

Kane nodded. “Uh huh. I got a drink, too. I was really thirsty.”

“Okay. Think you can put yourself to sleep by yourself while I go check on your otokasan?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright.” He gave his son a quick hug and kiss before setting him down. “Now, off to bed.”

The boy raced across the hall towards the room he shared with his twin brother, but stopped and raced back towards his father. Eiri watched him with a raised eyebrow. “Night, Daddy,” he cried, hugging his father's leg before racing back to his bedroom and shutting the door behind him.

Eiri chuckled, shaking his head in amusement.

His merriment subsided as he realized his night was far from over. This was going to suck big time. The last thing he needed was to stay up all damn night trying to comfort his husband, especially when he had a train to catch in a few hours to Kyoto.

Mizuki set up a lecture at Kyoto University and then an in-store appearance the next morning at the school bookstore for him. She claimed he agreed to this some time ago, though Eiri had no memory of doing so. What he did remember was specifically telling her not to schedule anything for him until further notice when he learned Shuichi was pregnant with Kira. He refused to leave Shuichi alone during his pregnancy. So many things could go wrong, even more so with Shuichi because he was male. Kira was now three months old, but he was still reluctant to go on a business trip and leave Shuichi home alone with the boys, because his legs have a tendency to give out every once in a while. If that were to happen when he was carrying Kira…Eiri shuddered at the thought.

Mizuki promised he would not be gone for more then two days at the most. It was two days too long in his opinion, but agreed to do it just this once, though he warned her that if she pulled this kind of shit again, he would fire her.

As Eiri made his way to his English inspired study, he could clearly hear the sounds of crying and they were not the usual “why-aren't-you-paying-attention-to-me-I-hate-you” tears. No, these were real tears filled with so much pain and sorrow; it shattered Eiri's heart to hear them.

He reached for the doorknob and slowly opened the door. The sound of the crying got louder. Stepping into the study, he took in the sight before him. Shuichi was sitting in the expensive leather chair, which was backed against the wall and nowhere near the desk. His laptop was open on the desk. The screen was filled with text Eiri assumed was the beginnings of the brat's biography. Shuichi was hunched over, his face buried in his hands. His small, lithe body--that had just regained its pre-pregnancy figure--shook as sobs racked his body.

“Shuichi,” he called softly.

Startled, Shuichi gasped and jumped. His heart beating a mile a minute, he stared at his husband in the doorway. Sitting up, he wiped his tear and snot filled face with the back of his hand. Sniffling, he rolled his chair back to the desk. “I'm sorry,” he hiccupped. He cleared his throat of another sob. “Did I wake you?”

“No,” Eiri said truthfully from the doorway. “Kane did.”

Shuichi nodded then bowed his head. He stared at his fingers in his lap. He did not have the courage to look at the computer screen and reread what he just wrote. He knew he let it happen to protect the man he loved with all his heart, but he wanted nothing more than to just forget that it had ever happened. He wanted to be honest with his fans, though. That was the whole point of writing the autobiography. His fans stuck by him through everything, supported him in everything he did. They made him what he was, but at the same time, he had never really talked about it to anyone. Yes, Hiro, Eiri and Seguchi knew bits and pieces about that horrific event, but he had not told anyone everything, not even the psychiatrist he went to for a short time. His parents did not even know that he had been raped. He wanted to save them from living through the hell he had been forced to endure. He did not want their pity, shame, disappointment or sympathy.

He was afraid, though, of what would happen when it got out. What would his fans say? God, what would his parents think? Would they think he had been at fault, that he had not been “pure” enough to stop it from happening to him? That his lifestyle meant he deserved what happened to him? That it was his punishment? That he had brought shame down upon all of them? Hiro and Eiri both assured him it had not been his fault, that he did not do anything wrong, but sometimes, he still felt as if maybe there was something he could have done differently.

Eiri saw the emotions flicker across his husband's face and felt his heart breaking. Pushing away from the doorframe, he walked across the room towards the singer. He grabbed the back of the chair and twirled it around so that he was face to face with his husband. Kneeling before the chair, he grabbed Shuichi's chin with one hand while the other one clasped Shuichi's cold, clammy hand.

“Look at me, Shuichi.” He reached up and brushed away a stray tear that traveled down Shuichi's cheek. He stared deeply into his husband's purple eyes. “Shuichi, this was why I didn't want you to write this stupid book.”

Shuichi lowered his eyes and nodded.

“But I understand why you want to.” Eiri stood up and pulled his husband to his feet. He kissed the top of Shuichi's head as he enveloped the tiny man within his arms.

Shuichi wrapped his arms around Eiri's waist and hugged him tightly. He rested his head against Eiri's chest. Immediately, he felt a feeling of serenity wash over him and he sighed, relaxing in the warmth of his husband's arms.

Eiri caught sight of the text on the screen. He frowned, feeling a renewed surge of anger wash over him. His hold on Shuichi tightened in response. “It's not your fault,” he whispered. “You know that, right?”

Shuichi said nothing.

Eiri stepped back and lifted Shuichi's chin . “Right?”

Shuichi turned his head away, freeing himself from Eiri's hold. This was something he did not want to think about anymore. It hurt too much. It was like a black hole inside of him that continued to grow, threatening to suck him and everything around him inside it. If he ignored it long enough, it would go away. Talking about it made it real and he wanted more than anything for it to be nothing more than a dream.

Before Eiri could say anything more, the silence of the mansion was shattered by the sudden ringing of the phone. He glanced at the clock on the shelf across the room. Who the hell would be calling now? It was not even three-thirty in the goddamn morning.

Glad for the distraction, Shuichi walked over to the desk and grabbed the phone mid-ring before it woke up Kira. Kira had fallen asleep right after dinner last night and for the first time seemed to be sleeping through the night. Then over the baby monitor came soft whines of protestation that turned into loud angry cries even as they listened.

Damn, he thought. I knew it was too good to be true.

He glanced at Eiri over his shoulder. “Eiri, could you…?”

“Sure.”

“Thanks,” he told his husband as the man walked out of the office towards the nursery. Then he remembered the phone in his hand. “Hello?” he asked feeling suddenly tired. He rubbed his aching eyes. All he wanted to do was go to bed and sleep until he had to wake the boys up for school. He covered his mouth as a huge yawn seized him.

“Is Shuichi there?” asked the soft, strained voice over the line.

“This is he,” he yawned.

“Shuichi? It's Mom.”

Shuichi blinked, confused. He was suddenly wide-awake. His mother usually never called. If she wanted to come over and see him or her grandchildren all she did was just drop by. They were home nine times out of ten most days. Even if they weren’t at home, it was not like she did not have a key. But his mother had never called in the middle of the night before. He wondered what was going on.

“I'm sorry I woke you,” his mother apologized, sniffling.

“It's fine,” he assured her dismissively. “I was up anyway.”

“…Grandpa,” Mrs. Shindou choked. She cleared her throat.

Shuichi’s grip on the phone tightened.

“Grandpa--passed away.”

He lessened his hold on the reliever and blinked stupidly, a frown on his face.

“He passed away in his sleep,” his mother was saying. “He didn't suffer. They said he went quickly. He just…fell asleep and didn't wake up.”

Shuichi suddenly felt numb and cold. His legs gave way and he collapsed to the leather desk chair with a painful thud. He stared blankly at the laptop.

“Shuichi,” his mother called softly over the line after a few moments of silence. “Are you okay?”

Am I okay, Shuichi repeated to himself with a mental laugh. I just found out my grandfather is dead! Of course, I'm not all right! Aloud, though, he said, “Yeah.” He was surprised to hear how even and emotionless he sounded.

“The funeral will be on Saturday. Okay?”

“Yeah,” Shuichi said automatically.

“I love you, Sweetie,” his mother's voice cracked.

“Okay…Bye,” he squeaked as his chest tightened.

Shuichi hung up the phone and slapped a hand over his mouth as he started to sob. His vision blurred behind a thick veil of tears. Burying his face in his hands, he tried in vain to muffle his sobs as a well of sadness and guilt washed over him.

He was not sure how much time passed when a sound to his right caught his attention. Tears streaming down his face, he lifted his head and saw his husband standing in the doorway, Kira, wrapped tightly in a white blanket, sucking forcibly on a bottle of milk in his arms.

“Shuichi,” he called softly. “What's wrong? Who was that?”

“Mom,” he sobbed.

Eiri stepped slowly into the study.

“My--grandfather…died?”

 

* * *

 

**The Next Day - Morning**

“That's not really my problem now is it?” Eiri asked his editor as he walked out of the study. His voice was strained and tight as his annoyance reached its pinnacle. “…Because if memory serves me, I specifically told you not to schedule any personal appearances until further notice and yet you did just that. So,” he continued, raising his voice over her stuttering protestations, “you have no right to throw me a guilt trip when something more important comes up.”

As Mizuki screeched her protestations, Eiri clamped the cordless phone between his shoulder and his ear as he gently switched the sleeping lump of lead that was Kira to his opposite shoulder, the one that did not feel as if it were about to fall off. Releasing the phone, he held it to his other ear, the one that was not ringing and going deaf. He looked up when he heard the heavy stomps of tiny feet.

Kane raced out of his bedroom and threw himself at his father, knocking Eiri off balance. “Daddy!”

Eiri took a step back to catch himself and tightened his hold on Kira then glared down at his son. Ignoring his editor's rants about how unfair he was being at canceling his trip to Kyoto at the last minute, he clamped the phone under his chin, freeing his hand, which he used swiftly to smack his idiotic son upside the head . The impact sent Kane's head snapping forward. The boy tightened his grip as he buried his face in his father's pants leg. “I told you not to do that when I'm holding your brother,” Eiri snapped angrily. “What part of that do you not understand?”

“Yuki-san?” came Mizuki's questioning voice over the line. “Did you say something?”

“Nothing that concerns you,” Eiri told the woman. He was beginning to get a headache. Mizuki was trying desperately to get him out of canceling his cancellation of the lecture he was supposed to give at the university. He glanced down at the top of Kane's bed-head when he heard muffled sobs. He sighed heavily. It was too early to deal with this shit. As if that were not bad enough, Kira stirred against him. Great, he thought. The last thing he needed was for Mini Brat III to wake up. He had enough to deal with without that. He breathed a sigh of relief when Kira settled back down.

“Okay, about the lecture-”

“Get someone else to fill in for me,” he said, cutting her off. He pulled the phone away as the woman screamed at him angrily. “Look, Mizuki,” he said when she had calmed down some-what. “You’re the one that promised the university a noted author would come speak. So, this is your problem and has nothing to do with me…Mizuki, you have other clients. Bother them for a change…Because Shuichi's grandfather passed away yesterday.” Immediately, he was greeted with blissful silence; it was something he had not been privy to for almost two decades. He wondered what it would be like to be surrounded by absolute silence. “…His mother's father I believe…Shut up, Mizuki…We're going to Tokyo after breakfast…Yes, I'll pass on your condolences,” he said. “Now if you'll excuse me…Yes, good day to you too.” Eiri pressed the talk button, ending the phone call, and sighed heavily. Should have said something about Shuichi's grandfather sooner, he realized, then he would not have had to endure all of Mizuki's crap. A tug on his pants drew his attention. He glanced down at his son who was sobbing quietly against his leg. “Kane, stop it and go wake your brother up.”

Kane pulled away from his father and wiped his tear and snot stained face. “Okay,” he hiccup-sobbed.

Eiri felt a pain of guilt and sighed. It would make things so much easier if both of the boys took after him. Keitaro was exactly like him. The boy loved to read and actually wrote several short stories that Eiri had bound and was now in the library/office. Yes, trying to get him up in the morning was like trying to wake the dead, but at least he did not run around the house like a chicken with its head cut off, screaming and yelling and turning the place upside down as if a typhoon hit it, unless Kane bothered him too much and then there was hell to pay. Kane on the other hand, unfortunately, was more like Shuichi then Shuichi was and that was not always a good thing.

Eiri squatted down in front of his son, keeping a tight grip on Kira. Setting the phone down besides him, he tapped Kane's chin gently to get him to lift his head. “Hey,” he said softly. “You know what? You don't have to go to school today.”

That got his attention. Kane's head snapped up, a bright smile on his face. The tears dried instantaneously. “Really?”

Eiri nodded.

“Yeah,” Kane cried out enthusiastically. He threw his hands up and jumped up and down.

“Shh,” Eiri warned his son. “Otokasan and your brothers are sleeping.” Though truthfully, both Keitaro and Kira could sleep through Armageddon.

Kane's eyes widened in shock and horror. He slapped his hands over his mouth. “I'm sorry,” he whispered.

“That's okay. How would you like to go visit Grandma and Grandpa Shindou for a week?”

“Just me?”

“No,” Eiri said shaking his head. “We're all going.”

“You too, Daddy?”

“Yes, me, too.”

Kane's eyes sparkled with excitement and he began hopping up and down again.

“Listen to me for a minute, okay?”

The boy nodded, his excitement dwindling slightly at the sudden serious expression on his face.

“You have to be careful around Kira, okay? He's just a baby. You can't go running into people like that. Okay?”

“Okay,” Kane answered quietly.

“You're not a little kid anymore, right?”

Kane looked up and shook his head defiantly. “Nuh uh. I'm five,” he proclaimed, holding out five fingers. “I'll be six pretty soon,” he announced proudly. “I'm a big boy!”

Eiri nodded. “Okay, then you shouldn't have to be treated like a baby, right?”

“I'm not a baby,” Kane said boldly.

Eiri smirked. “Then I don't have to repeat myself, right? You'll never do that again?”

Kane shook his head.

Eiri kissed his son and pulled him into a one armed hug.

The boy giggled, stepping away and rubbing his cheeks on his shoulders. “Your face's all scratchy, Daddy!” he exclaimed.

Eiri ran his hand along his jaw. “Guess so,” he noticed. Having been up since three o'clock this morning, dealing with Kira and a husband who just lost his grandfather had consumed all his attention. Shaving had been the last thing on his mind. “Guess I'll have to go shave huh?”

“Yep!”

“Okay,” Eiri said standing up, “why don't you go drag your brother from bed while I put Kira to bed and then we can go have some breakfast, alright?”

“Okay,” he cried as he tore down the hallway. “Keitaro,” he shouted. “Daddy said to get up now!”

Chuckling, Eiri stood up with a grunt and walked towards the master suite, setting the phone down on the small table outside the door. He pushed open the door and stepped into the cave like room, shutting the door behind him. The lump on the bed stirred.

“Shu, you up?”

“Mmm,” Shuichi mumbled. He flipped onto his back and stretched, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and stared up at the ceiling hidden within shadows. His eyes felt heavy and gritty. He could barely keep them open. His mind was cloudy and his reflexes slow to start. All he wanted to do was curl back under the covers and slip back into oblivion. He turned his head and watched as his husband carried an obviously sleeping Kira towards him. A smile flittered across his face. “'Morning,” he whispered.

The bed dipped as Eiri sat down. They exchanged a soft, lingering, chaste kiss. “Mmm,” he smiled as he pulled back. “How'd you sleep?”

“Pretty good,” Shuichi yawned. He pushed himself up and leaned against the headboard. “Are the boys up?” he asked. “Here,” he commanded with another yawn. Damn, he could not stop yawning.

“Kane's up,” Eiri said as he gladly handed over his infant son. He shook his arms, trying to get the circulation back into them. “Keitaro,” he continued, “on the other hand-“

Suddenly the door was flung open startling both men. “Daddy! Keitaro won't get up,” Kane tattled. Eiri and Shuichi watched as the boy raced through the doorway and across the room.

Shuichi chuckled. Keitaro was definitely not a morning person. Just like someone else he knew. His gaze slid to his husband, a sly glint in his eyes.

Eiri felt his husband's gaze on him and turned to look at him. He peered through narrowed eyes at the younger man. “Don't even,” he warned.

That prompted Shuichi to laugh harder.

Eiri glared at his husband, but was soon distracted by a tug on his sleeve.

“Tell him to get up, Daddy! I'm hungry,” Kane whined.

“Yes, Daddy. Hurry up. There're hungry people waiting to be fed,” Shuichi reminded his husband, his voice low and husky.

Eiri's breath hitched and his cocked twitched. Slowly, he turned towards Shuichi. They stared at each other with matching lustful expressions. Eiri found himself drowning in his husbands gaze. They pulled at him, sucked him in.

“Dad~dy!”

Eiri and Shuichi snapped back to reality. Shuichi looked away, a blush tinting his cheeks. Eiri cleared his throat and stood up.

“Here, put him in the bassinette for me,” Shuichi told Eiri. He gently handed the still sleeping Kira to Eiri and watched as the blond writer placed him carefully in the bassinette several feet from the bed.

Eiri walked back over to the bed and kissed his husband. “Get some sleep, okay?”

Shuichi nodded as he wiggled back under the covers. That sounded like a very good idea. A huge yawn seized him, making his eyes water and his jaw pop. Sleep weighed heavily upon his shoulders once more.

“I'll take care of the boys.”

Shuichi had no problem with that. He mumbled out, “I love you” and “good night” as he rolled over onto his side and pulled the covers around his shoulders. He was out like a light as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Eiri shut the door behind him and let Kane drag him across the hall towards the twin's room. The sight that greeted him had him chuckling. Keitaro and Kane's room was literally split down the middle and you could clearly see which side belonged to which brother.

Kane's side look like everything else he did, like a hurricane hit it followed by an earthquake and than a flood. Things were flung in every direction. Clothes spewed out of several open dresser drawers as if it had exploded. His closet door was wide open and a quick look told Eiri that it was in an identical condition as the room. Kane's covers were thrown back and were hanging over the foot of the bed, covering the trunk. His pillows were nowhere in sight. The floor was gone, hidden under mounds of stuff.

“Kane, before we leave, you are cleaning up this pig sty.”

As predicted, Kane groaned. “I don't wanna!” he whined as he crawled onto his bed.

“Either you do it or I will,” Eiri warned.

“You do it,” Kane said as he stood up on the bed and started bouncing.

“Hey,” Eiri barked. “Down. Now.”

“Awww!”

“Kane.”

With a final bounce, Kane plopped into a sitting position.

Eiri walked through the disaster area to the clean side. “If I get in here, I'm going to start tossing stuff.”

Kane's eyes went wide in horror. “No!”

“Yes.”

“No!” Kane jumped off his bed and flung himself at his father. “Daddy!”

“Will you clean your room, then?”

Kane nodded his head vigorously.

Eiri smirked. Works every time. “Good. Why don't you go downstairs while I drag Sleeping Beauty from bed?”

“That's Keitaro, not Sleeping Beauty. Silly Daddy,” Kane laughed.

“Oh?” Eiri feigned ignorance. “Really? My mistake.” He planted a kiss on his son's head and swatted his behind. “Now, go.”

“Okay!” Kane started out of the room, but stopped halfway out the door. “Can I watch TV?”

“If you keep it down.”

“Okay,” Kane shouted as he tore out of the room. Eiri could hear him pounding down the staircase.

Eiri strolled across the bedroom towards his comatose son.

Keitaro's side was the complete opposite of his brother's, just like their personalities. All his toys and books were off the floor and in there appropriate places. The toys were in the toy bin and his books, which there seemed to be hundreds of, in the bookshelf. He had them in alphabetical order, which he claimed made it easier to find the book he was looking for. Shuichi did not understand what the point of that was. Eiri thought it made perfect sense. Keitaro's clothes were neatly folded and placed in their respective drawers . The top drawer was for socks, underpants, undershirts, second drawer for pajamas, third drawer for shirts and bottom drawer for pants. His school uniforms and other dressier, more formal clothing were hung neatly in the closet. His shoes were placed in an orderly fashion on the floor of the closet. Keitaro kept his bed straight and as neat as a pin. Put simply, Keitaro was a neat freak.

Eiri stood by his son's bed with his arms folded over his chest and smirked as he watched the boy sleeping.

Keitaro had kicked his covers off sometime during the night and they were now crumbled at the foot of the bed. He was lying corner to corner on the bed, spread out on his stomach with his feet hanging off the side of the bed. His pant legs were hiked halfway up his legs and his shirt was riding up. His blond hair was sticking up and his mouth was hanging open. There was a crease mark on the left side of his face.

Eiri snickered. He bent over the boy and shook him. “Keitaro. C'mon. Time to get up.” As expected, Keitaro remained an impassive log. He did not as much as twitch. Eiri chuckled. Sighing, Eiri braced himself--knowing how heavy the boy was--and lifted him out of the bed. Only then did the boy start to stir.

“Ugh,” Keitaro moaned, reaching out towards his bed.

“C'mon sleepy head,” Eiri said as he tucked him under his arm as if he was a piece of luggage. Turning on his heel, he started out of the bedroom. He had not taken more than a step when Keitaro started groaning and wiggling around.

“No,” the boy whined.

“Don't give me that, Uesugi-Shindou Ichiro Keitaro.” He was having a hard time keeping a hold on his son. Eiri placed Keitaro over his shoulder in a firemen's hold. “It's past seven o'clock. Time for all little writer's to be up and out of bed.”

“No wanna!”

Eiri chuckled. He sounded exactly like Kane. “I don't care if you don't wanna. You have to.”

“Daddy!”

“Keitaro!” Eiri mimicked as he started down the steps. Then an idea hit him. “You don't have to go to school today or tomorrow or the next day and the day after that…”

All movement stopped immediately. “Really?”

“Really.”

“Really really?”

Eiri sighed. At times like these, Keitaro reminded him of Shuichi. “Yes, really really. We're going to Tokyo to visit Grandma and Grandpa Shindou.” The only answer he received was stone silence. Curious, he slid Keitaro off his shoulder and set him on his feet. He knelt before the boy and noticed the disappointed expression on his face. “What's wrong? Don't you want to go visit Grandma and Grandpa?”

“But I wanted to go to school today! We're supposed to have a party!”

Eiri nearly fell over in shock. Chuckling, he stood up and escorted the boy to the kitchen. As he passed the living room, he called out to Kane. “Come on. There's something I need to talk to you about before we eat, okay?”

“Okay,” they both said as the three blond haired, golden hazel eyed, pale men entered the kitchen.

 

* * *

 

The seatbelt snapped together with a resounding click.

“There you go,” Shuichi cooed to his son.

Kira's large brown eyes darted around the inside of the black SUV.

It was amazing how different Kira looked from his brothers. They did not even look like they were related. Where Kane and Keitaro had their father's pale looks, Kira took after him. The three month old had a head full of raven black hair and a dark complexion.

Grabbing the diaper bag from the floor, Shuichi placed it on the passenger seat. Backing out of the car, he grabbed his suitcase that was sitting by the tire and kneeling on the backseat, lifted his luggage into the back of the vehicle. The only other things in the back were Eiri's suitcase and a small cooler that he packed with drinks and munchies for the long road trip to his parent's house.

As Shuichi turned back around, he caught Kira staring intently at him. “What?” he breathed with a giant smile. He felt an overwhelming surge of pride wash over him. His heart swelled as he stared down at his son. Kira smiled widely. His mother said it was only gas when babies smiled. She used to say the same thing when Kane and Keitaro were babies too. Whatever. A smile was a smile and it was beautiful, just like his son.

Shuichi giggled. He reached over and brushed a lock of hair out of Kira's eyes. He would have to cut his hair soon, if Kira let him. The kid already needed his nails cut, but refused to let him cut them. He certainly was something.

Chuckling, Shuichi planted a kiss on his son's forehead and backed out of the car. He glanced around and spotted Kane playing on the swing set. Keitaro, he knew, was in the playroom with his nose buried in a book. Eiri was up in the study. He was not sure what exactly his husband was up to. Shuichi looked up at the closed double doors where the study he and his husband shared curiously.

“Is it time to go yet?” Kane shouted across the lawn.

Shuichi snapped out of his thoughts and watched his son. Kane had a goal to swing above the bar and was determined to do so, but so far had been unsuccessful. Shuichi could remember when he had been as driven to achieve that same goal. It had been such a thrill to go higher and higher, to feel the wind against his face, but to think of his own son trying to do the same thing scared the shit out of him. What if he went too far and he went over the bar or crashed into it? What if he lost his grip and slipped off? Sometimes he hated being a parent.

“Yes, it is,” he called back.

“Okay!”

Shuichi nearly had a heart attack as he watched his son jump off the swing mid-swing. Kane landed neatly on his feet as if he were a cat then raced across the yard towards him. Shuichi sighed heavily and fell back against the side of the car, a hand over his racing heart. That boy is going to kill me one of these days, he thought.

“Go get your and your brother's suitcases for me.”

Kane's face fell. “Aw! Why can't Keitaro do it?”

“Because I asked you.”

Grumbling, the boy stomped up the front steps and into the house. Shuichi watched him in amusement. He shook his head with a snort. A couple of seconds later, Kane reappeared, dragging two suitcases behind him. It was easy to tell which belong to what twin. Keitaro's was the plain black one and Kane's was the pink Dora the Explorer one. “Here, Otokasan,” Kane said.

Shuichi bent over and kissed the top of Kane's head. “Thank you. You're very helpful.”

Kane grinned broadly up at Shuichi, his face beaming with pride.

“Did you clean your room like Daddy asked you to?”

Kane nodded. “Yes and I did it all by myself!”

“You did? Good job. Looks like you really are a big boy.”

Kane's smile was so bright it could light a city for a month.

“Alright,” Shuichi said. He grabbed his son's ponytail and gave it a tug.

Kane laughed, grabbing his head.

“Why don't you go potty and tell your daddy we're all set to go.”

“Okay.” The boy raced back up the stairs and vanished into the house. “Daddy,” Shuichi heard him call and rather loudly. “Otokasan said it's time to go!”

Shuichi sniggered. Guess they really do have my lungs, he thought as he grabbed the suitcases and placed them in the trunk. He slammed the lid of the trunk and peered through the window at Kira, who appeared to be asleep. A soft smile crossed Shuichi's face, but his smile slipped into a frown and a deep well of sadness washed over him.

He had not seen his grandfather, the boys' great grandfather, since he was in middle school, but he remembered clearly what the patriarch of the Todono family looked like. It had been like looking at an aged photograph of him. Their appearance was not the only thing they had in common. Shuichi got his love of music from his grandfather as well. This commonality was what made the two of them so close when he was growing up, but it was also what caused the huge rift between them.

Kira blurred behind a threat of tears. Sniffling, Shuichi stepped away from the car and breathed in deeply through the nose and out through his mouth, trying to loosen the tightness in his chest.

He could not believe his grandfather had passed away. It was impossible to stop his mind from reminiscing about all the things he used to do with his grandfather, all the laughs they had and tears they shed, the stories and secrets they shared. They had been so close. They used to do everything together and to know the man he used to believe was as invincible as Superman was not going to be there when he walked into his grandmother's house was not something he wanted to think about.

He had crushed his grandfather's heart. Not once, but twice. When once they were so close, they soon had become worlds apart. His grandfather was a proud and stubborn man and refused to admit the world was changing and not the same as it was when he was a boy. In a way, Shuichi was just as stubborn as his grandfather and refused to let others tell him what to do. He knew where his life was heading and what he wanted to do with it and he was not going to let someone else dictate what that was. Because of that, he had not spoken or seen his grandfather in over twenty years, that was, until the other day when he returned home from getting ice cream with Eiri and the boys to hear a familiar gravelly voice on the answering machine.

_“Shuichi? This is Grandfather. I got your number from your mother.” There was nothing but the sound of breathing for several long seconds. “It's been a while. If you could give me a call as soon as possible, I would--greatly appreciate it. Shuichi, I-,” he started. “Or maybe you could have your mother set something up…,” he said instead. “I need to speak with you, Shuichi. Thanks…” There was a click and then nothing._

_“End of new messages,” the mechanical voice said._

_Shuichi stood, staring blankly at the answering machine, not really believing what he just heard. Even after listening to it two more times, he still was not fully convinced this was not just some sort of joke. Shuichi had been nothing more than a giant disappointment to his grandfather. He tried several times over the years to try and mend the rift between them, but his olive branch had been snapped in two and thrown right back in his face. His grandfather had made it clear he was dead to him, so why the change of heart now?_

_Standing up from the chair he had collapsed into, Shuichi reached for the phone with a trembling hand, but at the last second his nerve broke and his hand veered off course._

_“Message erased,” the mechanical voice said._

After all that time, his grandfather had reached out to him and what had he done? Nothing! Absolutely nothing! If he would have sucked up his pride and made that phone call, he would have been there. He would have been able to say goodbye.

Shuichi dropped his face in his hands and sobbed. Turning around, he leaned against the back of the car and slid down until he was sitting on the bumper.

From the doorway, Eiri watched his husband in sorrow, a lump in his throat and a frown on his face.

 

**…To Be Continued…**

**A/N:** The scene with Aizawa is from the manga and “Otokasan” is a combination of “otosan” and “okasan”.

 

 


	2. The Tokyo Tales & Adult Time

**Chapter 2: The Tokyo Tales & Adult Time**

**Shindou Household - Tokyo, Japan**

A stream of white smoke spiraled into the evening air, dispersing into a thin cloud before vanishing all together. On the steps leading down from the Shindou house to the street, Eiri leaned casually against the stone wall with a sigh and tapped the gathering ashes off the tip of his cigarette. Taking one last puff, the tip glowing eerily in the gathering darkness, he ground the butt against the stone steps just as the front door opened behind him.

He heard a deep, heavy sigh from behind him. “Eiri, I wish you wouldn't,” Shuichi said as he sat down besides his husband.

Eiri said nothing and kept staring out over the city. He gave up smoking several years before Shuichi and he married and had not so much as looked at another cigarette since, but here he was, back in the habit. If asked, he would not be able to tell you when he started smoking again. It was just something that happened gradually over the last couple of months. Though he made sure he did not smoke in the house or around the children. He was not stupid. He knew the risks that came with smoking and was not about to endanger his family just to support a disgusting habit he could not seem to shake.

Shuichi sighed and shook his head. He knew better than to argue with his husband on this issue of which Eiri was an immoveable force. Shuichi loved Eiri and accepted him no matter what--except for his smoking habit. That smell had engrained itself into everything in their old apartment. It was worse in the winter when the smell of cigarette smoke would cling to Eiri like cologne. Sometimes it was just so nauseating, especially when they kissed and all Shuichi could taste was the cigarette Eiri just had, but over time Shuichi became used to the smell, accustomed to its lingering aroma. And while he was not immune or in love with the smell, it became linked in his mind to the man he loved. Part of him was glad that Eiri took smoking back up. It was like all was right with the world once again or as if he finally came home after being away for so long. It was strange, but true.

Sighing contently, Shuichi rested his head against his husband's shoulder, a smile on his face. “I love you, Eiri,” he whispered.

Eiri snorted. “What you do this time?” he asked, draping an arm around Shuichi's shoulders, hugging the other man closer.

“Hey!” Shuichi protested. His head shot up, throwing Eiri's arm off him. Shuichi threw his husband a death glare, or tired to, but failed miserably as a large grin spread across his face. “Can't I just tell you that I love you without having an ulterior motive? I've been doing it for almost twenty years, ya know.”

“'Ulterior motive'?” Eiri asked with a raised eyebrow. “That's a pretty big phrase for you.”

“Shut up!” Shuichi laughed, slapping his husband again. “You're so mean!”

“Yep and you love me for it.” Eiri hugged his arm around Shuichi's shoulders and pulled him down next to him once again. His side was cold without Shuichi there. “Oh and lately you haven't told me you love me without having either done something or wanting something.”

“What? That's not true. When have I ever done that?”

“Hm. Let me see,” Eiri contemplated. “Could it be when you went out and got your license and then a couple months later bought a car? All without my knowing about it?”

Shuichi blushed.

A couple of years ago, he finally gained the courage to get his driving license. Getting his learner's permit was easier than he thought it would be. For the first time in his life, he actually past a test. The next day, he called Hiro and after a lot of begging and gravelling, finally convinced his best friend to come up for a visit and teach him how to actually work a car. The only thing he knew how to do was turn it on. He could have gone to any number of driving schools, but this way, he knew his instructor would not talk. Shuichi had never been so scared in his life! But his fright turned out to be unfounded. It took a little getting used to feel comfortable behind the wheel, but once he was, he caught on fast and soon was racing down the streets of Japan. A month later, he made an appointment to take the road test and actually passed, much to his surprise. The only problems he seemed to have was his inability to parallel park, park straight and he seemed to have a lead foot. The latter Shuichi knew he got from Eiri. But he was getting better.

To say Eiri was just a tad bit angry when Shuichi came home and told him the news would be an understatement. The blond writer was livid! Before “the incident”, Eiri worried about Shuichi driving. He was not entirely stable to begin with and to have him behind the wheel in a place as crazy as Japan? That was just not happening. Then afterwards, Eiri worried even more. What if his legs gave out when he in the middle of driving? That was not something he wanted to even think about.

A month later when Eiri left for a meeting with Mizuki, Shuichi grabbed the twins, called a taxi and went to pick up the car he bought right after he passed his road test--with help from Hiro of course. What he picked out was a yellow colored Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV RS. The salesman said something about it having four wheel drive and nearly three-hundred horse power and a bunch of other things. Whatever. It was just a very cool looking vehicle in a not so common color. Eiri was impressed at his choice and even complimented him on it…that is, after he cooled down enough to actually think straight.

Both times, Shuichi crept quietly back into the house and slipped up to an unsuspecting Eiri, hugged him tightly and professed his love for the older man…only to tell him when he dropped his guard what he did.

“That was like three years ago, Eiri,” Shuichi reminded his husband, still blushing.

“And?”

“And it was the first and only time I ever did that.”

“Is that so?”

“You know so.”

“Really.”

“Hey, you guys are the ones that're always telling me it's impossible for me to lie.”

That was true. Eiri stared down at his husband's glossy black hair. “You think you're so smart.”

“Nope,” the singer denied. “I know I am.”

Eiri blinked, momentarily speechless. Finally, he snorted and shook his head. “You're an idiot,” he told his husband affectionately.

“Hey, who's more of an idiot? The idiot or the moron who falls in love with the idiot?”

“What? Are you a philosopher, now?” Eiri chuckled.

Shuichi giggled. “I'm that and much more.”

“What?” Eiri chuckled, shaking his head again. “You really are an idiot.”

“Nope. Just s-m-r-t.”

“Just…what? I think you've grown stupid from lack of sleep.”

As if it had been planned, Shuichi gave a loud yawn. “No,” he shook his head, yawning. “It was the unofficial slogan of my high school debate team. ‘S-m-r-t. We are so smart. S-m-r-t,’” Shuichi sang. “They took it from some cartoon, or something.”

Despite his best efforts, Eiri started chuckling. Oh brother, he thought with a quick shake of his head.

The two lovers sat in comfortable silence in each other's arms.

“Are the boys asleep?” Eiri asked after several minutes.

Shuichi nodded, wrapping his arms around Eiri's waist. He snickered. “They were like zombies.”

“I can imagine.”

They arrived at Shuichi's parent's house right before dinner.

Thankfully, the long two hundred and thirty-one mile drive to Tokyo from Nara had not been as hectic as he thought it was going to be. Keitaro brought along several books and immersed himself in those. The kid was practically a genius--well, that was a given seeing he took after his father--and was currently reading “Robinson Crusoe” and “Treasure Island”. Shuichi had never even heard of those books.

A year ago, they purchased the SUV and had a DVD player installed for the boys. It was to keep the boys occupied on long road trips. He was now glad he had installed it because Kane spent the whole trip watching movies. Kira slept for most of the trip. So the car ride had been relatively peaceful, especially after Shuichi fell asleep.

After dinner, Kira decided that he was hungry, so while Shuichi fed him, Keitaro and Kane went out back to play with Maiko's two children--Chiaki who was now seven and Subaru who was two. Apparently, that coupled with the long car ride had really taken its toll on the boys.

“I don't know what to say to her,” Shuichi said, breaking the silence.

Without even asking, Eiri knew who Shuichi was referring to. “Sometimes there's nothing to say,” Eiri answered. “These things happen.”

Shuichi sighed heavily. “I know. It's just that as much as I teased Maiko about her ‘pansy boyfriend’ in high school, I really thought they made a cute couple.” He chuckled. “I mean, the guy put his job as student body president on the line for Hiro and I our senior year.”

“Hm. I remember.” Eiri planted a chaste kiss on his husband's head. “I thought he was a pretty okay guy, but like I said, things happen. People change. It's not like it was when our grandparents or great grandparents were our age where divorce was not something you even thought about. Nowadays, your spouse steps out of line once and he's kicked to the curb, but that's your sister's prerogative.”

“I know,” Shuichi sighed. “It's just that I think she's being too hasty, ya know? I mean, I know how she feels. We aren't exactly the poster children for the perfect relationship ourselves.”

Eiri snorted. That was an understatement.

“I mean, when we first became lovers, I wasn't exactly your only one.” Shuichi poked Eiri in the side. He had the satisfaction of seeing the man blush out of the corner of his eye. “I hated that, but I put up with it because I loved you so much and didn't want to lose you, but eventually, you kicked all those bimbos to the curb and I got you all to myself.” He lifted his head and stared at his husband, his eyes hard and screaming “mine.”

Eiri chuckled and kissed the tip of Shuichi's nose. He chuckled harder when he saw the singer flush with embarrassment.

“We've been through so much crap,” Shuichi continued, resting his head against Eiri's chest. “But despite the zillion bumps in the road-.”

“More like mountains,” Eiri snorted.

Shuichi giggled. “Despite the zillions of mountains in the road, we overcame everything…”

“Yes, we did,” Eiri agreed, “but your sister is not us.”

Shuichi pulled away from Eiri. “But-!”

Eiri shook his head, feeling cold now that Shuichi was sitting up. “Shu, if two people are meant to be together, then come hell or high water, nothing will keep them apart. They'll be able to work through anything, but if they aren't able to or unwilling to, then they really aren't meant to be together.”

Shuichi sighed heavily and returned to his place against his husband, much to Eiri's satisfaction. “I just want her to be as happy as we are,” he whispered.

“I know, Shu-chan,” Eiri whispered back.

Again, silence descended down around them. Talking about Maiko's sudden separation from her husband and high school sweetheart got him thinking about Shuichi's grandfather.

“Hey, Shu?” Eiri called softly, breaking the silence.

“Hm.”

It sounded like Shuichi was falling asleep. He should just let him rest. Shuichi sure needed it, but this was something Eiri had put off since last night, or very early this morning if you wanted to get technical. Not knowing was driving him crazy. “Why was this the first time I've ever heard of your grandfather?”

Shuichi went tense against him.

“Shuichi?”

Shuichi's eyes filled with tears as a renewed surge of sadness and despair washed over him. He had never been one to fight his emotions and he was not about to start now. His chest felt tight and his heart heavy as a droplet of water rolled down his face. He took a shuttered breath and tightened his hold on his husband.

Eiri hugged Shuichi back. Truthfully, he has never lost anyone close to him, other than Kitazawa Yuki, which was something else entirely. He lost his mother when he was young, but could remember nothing about her. The closest experience in his life he could relate to was the time he broke up with Shuichi who ended up being kidnapped by K's crazy-ass wife and taken to New York City to join XMR Records.

He did not even know his husband had another grandfather. He’d met Grandfather Shindou before he passed away from an inoperable brain tumor a few years ago. The man had been very open and accepting of their relationship. Though he had taken Eiri aside and pretty much threatened to have him castrated if he should ever hurt his grandson. This made him think Shuichi had not been on the best of terms with his grandfather Todono. He wondered what happened to cause such a drift between them.

“Ya know, people were always telling me that I looked like him,” Shuichi said, breaking the silence. His voice was soft and thick.

Eiri was not sure what to say to that, but he found himself saying, “Guess that means that Kira looks like him, huh?”

A laugh burst out of Shuichi. Sniffling, he nodded. “Yeah, guess so.” He was silent once again. Then, “I take after him in more than just looks, ya know.”

It took several seconds for him to get the full understanding of what Shuichi was implying. His eyes grew wide when he finally understood. “Oh, you mean…?”

Shuichi nodded, sniffing. “It was a source of embarrassment for him, though, so, he never talked about it.”

That was understandable. “What about you?”

Shuichi said nothing for several long seconds, before he finally shrugged. “I never really thought about it. I had other things to worry about.”

Eiri was not so sure that was the whole truth, but left it at that.

Suddenly, Shuichi giggled despite the ache in his heart and the tears rolling down his face. “Purple is a color you don't see in human eyes. In Western cultures, it's a sign of royalty.”

“It can also mean spirituality, metamorphosis, wisdom, cruelty, arrogance, sorrow and gay pride.”

It did not even surprise him that Eiri knew so much. “My grandfather always used to tell me that we got our purple eyes from our demon blood.”

Eiri cocked an eyebrow. “Demon blood?”

Shuichi nodded. A smile flickered on his face as joy over the memory warred with the deep well of sadness over the loss of such a great man. Fresh tears blurred his vision. As he tried to fight the urge to sob, his chest tightened and constricted. He cleared his throat and took a shuddering breath.

“He always used to say…” he began, his voice tight. He cleared his voice once again. “There's a story,” he restarted, his voice stronger, “that's been passed down for centuries in my family. They say we come from a very rich and noble family, but one day,” he continued over Eiri's snort, “the only daughter of the Noble Lord came across an injured man near the stream just outside of town. He was near death, but she brought him home and nursed him back to health.”

“And this man,” Eiri interrupted, “had the most incredible purple eyes right?”

Shuichi nodded. “This man was absolutely gorgeous. With long, silky black hair and big purple eyes. He was tall, dark and extremely sexy.”

Eiri stared at his husband through narrowed eyes. “Sexy, huh?” he asked, trying to make his voice as nonchalant as possible. Though he must not have succeeded because Shuichi glanced up at him in surprise. A slow grin spread across his face. Eiri felt his heart leap at the sight. A smile definitely suited his lover better than those tears coursing down his face.

“Everybody at the castle was curious about this stranger. Who was he? Where did he come from? They thought he was some noblemen's son because of the silk robes he wore. They were expecting to get some reward for rescuing him. Maybe a joining of the two houses.”

Eiri nodded.

“But when the man finally woke up and they saw his purple eyes, everybody knew he was no son of a Noble Lord. He was a demon and was ordered to be executed. The girl was against that and argued, begged and cried to her father to spare this man's life. Finally he relented,” Shuichi continued, settling back against Eiri, “but everyone was still a little wary of him. When he was well enough, he began doing odd jobs to pay them back for taking care of him. The first time he traveled into town, people were afraid of him because of his eyes. Talk that he was a demon spread across the town. Then a strange illness swept through the countryside and people blamed him. They claimed everything had been fine before he showed up. The girl, who had fallen in love with him by this time, tried to speak reason with the people, that he had nothing to do with the sickness and that it was unfair to blame him because he was new and looked different, but they would not hear it. They formed a posse and went after him, determined to have a sacrifice. The girl raced home and she and the man vanished into the night.”

Silence met the end of Shuichi's tale.

Eiri had to admit that as cutesy and full of fluff as that story sounded, it sounded like it would make a good story. He filed it away for later.

The sound of familiar hiccup-sobbing snapped him out of his thoughts. “Shuichi?”

Shuichi's face crumbled as tears washed down his face. The ache in his heart opened up and swallowed him whole. Shuichi stood up and straddled his husband's lap, wrapping his arms tightly around Eiri's waist and buried his wet face in his chest. “I miss him so much,” Shuichi sobbed.

Eiri stroked Shuichi's silken black hair, hugging him back. Rocking them back and forth, he cooed softly to his devastated husband. “Shh. It's okay, Shu-chan.” He could spew the same old clichéd crap that was meant to comfort you, but did nothing more than make you feel even more miserable than you already were, but decided to spare his husband all that nonsense. Besides, he had never been any good at comforting people. It always made him feel embarrassed and uncomfortable. Instead, he commanded softly, “Tell me about him.”

Shuichi sniffed and snuggled against his lover and partner. “Grandpa,” he sobbed. “Todono Ranmaru was a superman above men. Hard on the outside, but warm and fuzzy with a heart of gold on the inside,” he choked out. He sniffled. “As the head of the Todono family, he was proud and stuck in the old traditional, honor bound ways. He was hard and stern, with a hot temper. He pressured and pushed you almost to the brink of insanity to get you out there and do something with your life.”

“Sounds like my father.”

Shuichi sobbed out a laugh. “Yeah, but all he wanted was for us to be independent, well-off and get ahead in life, not be left behind.”

“Hmm.”

“But as hard as he was, he also had a softer side. He was like a second father to me,” Shuichi squeaked, his voice tight. He cleared his throat. “The man actually taught me how to play the piano.”

Eiri raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Really?” He was not sure why that surprised him. Of course, Shuichi would have had a sensei. Eiri was not sure what he had been expecting, but learning a man who sounded so tough had taught his grandson how to play the piano was not it.

“We'd give little concerts at family get-togethers.” Shuichi giggled lightly as he remembered some of them. “We'd go over and have dinner at my grandparents place every Friday. We'd go to the amusement park each summer, go on picnics to watch the cherry blossoms in the spring, go to the temple and pray regularly. I'd drag Grandfather out shopping…”

Eiri chuckled. “So, it wasn't just me you tortured?”

Shuichi slapped the back of his husband's head playfully. “Jerk. Anyway, we'd play videogames and go the movies…We did everything together. If ever I needed to speak to someone or needed advice, I went to him.” His voice faded into a tight whisper. Shuichi breathed in deeply through the nose and out slowly through the mouth, his breath quivering.

“You sounded pretty close.”

“We were.” Shuichi pulled away from Eiri long enough to wipe his runny nose on the sleeve of his shirt.

“What happened?” Eiri asked his voice soft and non-threatening. He rubbed lazy circles on Shuichi's back.

“In high school, my mom eventually gave up on me ever going to college and becoming a doctor, or a lawyer or something.”

Eiri could not help it. He found himself chuckling. Shuichi? A doctor? Not in this lifetime. A lawyer? Hmm. Maybe. It was a possibility, but…

“She let me get a job and stay at home for free so that I could use my money for the band. She knew how much music meant to me. It's my life, had been for as far back as I can remember. It's in my blood.”

That was for damn sure.

“But my grandfather refused to give up. He wanted me to do something with a sure future.”

That definitely sounded like Eiri’s father.

“My grandfather grew up loving music just like I did. He was a genius pianist. If he would have continued playing instead of falling to his father's wishes and going into business, he could have been one of the greatest pianists in the world.”

Eiri's brows shot up. “He was that good?”

Shuichi nodded against Eiri's shoulder, tightening his hold. “But his father didn't think there was a future in music. It was fine as a side project or hobby, but music did not put food on the table, a roof over your head or clothes on your back.”

Eiri snorted.

“It did not pay that mountain of bills you had or the two mortgages you have on the house.”

“In a way he was right,” Eiri confessed. “I mean, there is no guarantee in this business. You either succeed or you fall flat on your face. A lot of musicians just have one or two hits and then just disappear. Some never make it at all. Even if you do have a hit album or two, it doesn't mean you're going to instantly be one of the rich and famous.”

Shuichi nodded. “I know. That's why my grandfather wanted me to go into another more acceptable line of work.”

Ah, Eiri thought. He had a feeling he knew where this conversation was going.

“When he found out I was ranked second to last in the school and that I was failing everything but music and PE, he lost it.” Shuichi's vision blurred behind a new veil of tears. His jaw trembled. “He was angry that I was not taking school seriously. That I had no intention of following in his footsteps and become a successful businessman. We had a real bad row one night.”

Eiri's hold on him tightened.

Shuichi could remember that night as clearly as if it just happened. Fresh tears gushed down his face and a well of renewed sadness engulfed him. “It--was real bad.”

Eiri remained silent.

“It was really hard. We were so close,” Shuichi whispered. “He was like a second father to me and to have him say all those things…!” Shuichi took a shuddered breath. “It hurt. It really hurt.”

Eiri was curious as to what was exactly said between the two of them. Shuichi easily forgave wrongs that had been committed against him, much to Eiri’s chagrin. So, for Shuichi to still hold a grudge after all these years, it must have been bad. As curious as he was, he did not want to put Shuichi through all that crap again.

Shuichi stared blankly at his parent's house, tears slowly traversing the well worn path down his cheeks. He played with the ends of Eiri's hair unconsciously. “It was like a cold war.” Shuichi laid his cheek on Eiri's shoulder. “After a while, my anger and hurt subsided enough for me to be able to think clearly. I wanted so badly to speak with my grandfather, ya know? But he absolutely refused to speak with me unless I was there to tell him I decided to do something worthwhile with my life instead of wasting it on music.”

It sounded like he was quoting.

“But then I met you and Bad Luck got signed and everything…”

“You had other things to occupy your time.”

Shuichi nodded.

“Sounds like you were running away.”

Running away?

Shuichi thought about it. After he met Eiri and Bad Luck was signed, Shuichi threw himself into both. He suddenly did not have time for much else. All his time was occupied with trying to make both Bad Luck and his relationship with Eiri work.

Running away?

Seeing his time was so preoccupied with other things, he did not have time to deal with the fact that someone he thought of as a second father felt he was a disappointment.

“Yeah,” he whispered. “I guess so.”

He usually ran head first into things without thinking, but this one time, he had run away. He hid. He was so weak. He knew he had been. If he could go back and change things, he would.

“And you never spoke to him again?”

Shuichi tensed, then relaxed. He nodded slowly. “I did. Once more after that.”

“Really? When?”

“After we were ambushed on TV.”

“Ah.”

Unfortunately, for Shuichi, only his sister and the people associated with Bad Luck had known about their relationship and when the media ambushed them one morning outside Eiri's old apartment, the rest of Japan suddenly knew. To say the least, his family had not to be too pleased about learning of their son's little secret from television.

“I tried one more time to talk to my grandfather. I went to see him, but once again he refused to see me.” Shuichi tightened his hold on Eiri once more as the memory came back. “This time, he didn't care what it was I had to say.” Shuichi burst into tears. Sobbing, he cried, “He said he no longer had a grandson!”

Eiri was dumbfounded. “What?”

“I was confused! I didn't understand!” He hiccupped. “I didn't believe my grandmother! So,” he sniffled, “I burst into the house and stormed into his study! I demanded to know what was going on! He-he said he didn't know me! That his grandson would never defy him not once, but twice!”

Eiri finally understood. “He didn't like the fact that you were gay.”

Shuichi hollowed. “That hurt worse than anything else!”

Eiri hugged Shuichi tightly. “What happened?” he asked around a lump in his throat. He felt tears in his eyes.

“I just stood there dumbfounded,” Shuichi sobbed. He scrubbed s hand over his tear filled eyes. “Finally, I bowed and said, ‘I'm sorry Grandfather. I'm sorry I'm such a disappointment to you, that I couldn't be what you wanted me to be, but I'm not sorry for the choices I made in my life. I love singing and I love Yuki and I have no plans of giving either of them up. Goodbye, Grandfather.’ And I left. That was the last time I ever saw him!”

The night was filled with the sounds of muffled heart wrenching sobs that broke ones heart just listening to them. Tears of sympathy spilled freely down Eiri's face and he held his lover tightly.

 

* * *

 

Neither knew how much time had passed when Shuichi's tears began to slow and his sobs started to subside. Eiri's arms and back ached; his legs had fallen asleep and he needed a cigarette. Shuichi lay draped across him. The baka felt like he weighed a million tons. His breathing had slowed and was beginning to even out. He was falling asleep. As much as Eiri hated to do it, he would have to wake Shuichi up in order for them to go to bed. There was no way he would be able to carry him inside and upstairs. He opened his mouth to wake him up, but Shuichi beat him to it by mumbling something softly.

“What?”

“He called last week.”

“Who?” Eiri asked, confused.

“My grandfather.”

Eiri blinked. “What do you mean he called?”

“My mom gave him our number and he left me a message. I erased it before you could hear it,” he mumbled.

Shuichi sighed and cuddled closer.

Eiri drew his brows together. “What did he want?”

“Don't know. He wanted to talk.”

“Did you call him back?”

“No.”

“What? Why the hell not?”

“Don't know.”

“Shu,” Eiri sighed.

Shuichi sniffled. His jaw trembled as a fresh wave of tears stung his eyes. “I wish I had,” he sobbed. His chest felt tight as a wave of guilt washed over him. “Why didn't I? Why Eiri? I could've been here when he--I could've gotten the chance to--Why?”

He feels guilty, Eiri realized. That was why Shuichi was so upset over his grandfather's death. Shuichi must be feeling that if he had called his grandfather back instead of erasing the message and doing nothing, he would have gotten the chance to see him one last time. He would have had the chance to work things out. They might have been able to come to some sort of understanding. It was one of those “what if” scenarios.

“Maybe you were scared,” Eiri answered before he had time to think about it.

Shuichi pulled back and searched his lover's face. “Of what?” he sobbed, tears coursing down his face.

Eiri shrugged. “You haven't seen him in how many years?” Eiri fingered Shuichi's hair. “Nobody could blame you for being scared about facing him after all these years, especially after the way the two of you parted. Your grandfather disowned you and all because you followed your heart and not the leader. Twenty years is a long time, Shu.”

“But-“

Eiri hushed him by placing his finger over those soft, kissable lips. “Stop it, Shu. You have nothing to feel guilty about, okay? Remember what I said earlier. Things happen.”

“Yeah, but-“

“You didn't exactly part on the best of terms, did you?”

Shuichi shook his head, remembering that day.

“You haven't seen or heard from him in almost twenty years and then he calls you up, out of the blue?” He shook his head. “Anybody in your shoes would need some time to digest everything.”

Shuichi sat back and searched his partner's face. A stray tear slipped down his face. “Really?”

Eiri smiled tenderly. He cupped Shuichi cheek and nodded. “Yes, really.”

Shuichi leaned into the touch and his tears came faster down his face. He did not know why, but suddenly his chest was not as tight. An invisible knot seemed to loosen inside of him. With a sob, he flung himself at his husband and hugged him tight. “Thank you, Eiri,” he whispered. He giggled through his tears as he felt the writer shudder. Sensitive ear. Suddenly an idea formed. He molded his body against his husband's chest and breathed huskily, “I think it's time to go to bed.”

Again, Eiri shuddered. He felt his body tighten and throbbing with desire. There was no need to tell him twice. Eiri stood up with Shuichi still strapped to him like a koala and carried him inside the house, shutting and locking the door behind him.

 

* * *

 

The Shindou household was locked up tight for the night and at first glance it appeared quiet.

Tucked away in her old bedroom, Maiko and her two children slept peacefully. While her seven year old daughter Chiaki and two year old son Subaru shared their mother's old bed amicably, Maiko herself had pulled out an extra pillow, blankets and a futon mat from the closet and was sleeping on the floor next to her children. Maiko tossed and turned in her sleep, whimpering quietly in her sleep.

A week ago, Maiko walked out on her husband of seven years after coming home from a long and exhausting business trip to find him in the arms of another woman. Upset and humiliated, she grabbed her luggage and walked right back out, stopping at the babysitters to pick up her children before making the long trip from Hokkaido to Tokyo. As if realizing that her marriage was not as steady and strong as she always thought was not bad enough, she had not even set a foot inside her parents home when she learned of her grandfather's passing.

In her bedroom on the other side of the house, Mrs. Shindou had cried herself to sleep, but unlike her daughter she had someone to comfort her and wipe away her tears. In her sleep, she scooted closer to the warmth of her husband's arms, glad he was there.

In Shuichi's old bedroom, the Uesugi-Shindou twins were sleeping like the dead in the bunk bed where their otokasan used to sleep

Earlier, Keitaro and Kane spent an hour arguing and fighting over who would get to sleep where. Both wanted to be on top. The only solution was a game of Janken. This was not anything new. It happened every time they slept over Grandma and Grandpa’s. Unfortunately for Keitaro, Kane won and got to sleep on top.

Looks were deceiving. In their sleep, the boys looked like angels, though anybody who knew the twins knew they were more like little devils. In a crib near the rolled out futons where Shuichi and Eiri would sleep, baby Kira was sound asleep. The Uesugi-Shindou children did not have a care or worry in the world.

Soft snores permeated the air and a quiet, serene atmosphere had settled over the household, but if one were to listen more closely, one would hear soft moans and muffled cries from behind another closed door.

Behind that closed door, Shuichi and Eiri knelt facing one another in a tub filled with a mountain of white frothy bubbles that looked like a heap of whipped cream in a mug of hot cocoa. The bubbles were like a black censor bar covering their privates, keeping the erotic, pornographic vision from innocent eyes.

Eiri splayed his hands on either side of his partner's waist, his fingers tickling the sensitive skin. Ever so slowly, he trailed his hands upwards, tickling Shuichi's ribs, who squirmed and giggled in reaction. A jolt of pleasure zipped straight to Eiri's groin. His thumbs rubbed ghostly over the younger man's nipples, eliciting a gasp-y moan from his lover. They protruded into hardened buds. Eiri's hands continued up Shuichi's chest to his shoulders, his feather light touch sending shivers through his lover's body.

“Eiri,” Shuichi whispered, huskily.

He closed his eyes and sighed contently. He loved the feel of his husband. The feel of his hands tracing his body, his lips against his, makes him hot and bring him near orgasm. He knew what to do to make him moan, how to make him hard and find release again and again. Eiri knew him better than he knew himself.

“Mmm,” he moaned.

Eiri's fingers trailed lightly across Shuichi’s shoulders and up his neck into his hair, then down along his jaw to cup his face. Eiri’s thumbs brushed over Shuichi’s parted lips. Shuichi dropped his head back and reveled in his husband's touch as Eiri's hands left his face and traced a path delicately back down his chest.

His hands left his lover's supple body and he leaned forward, brushing their lips together. When he pulled away, Shuichi was watching him. Those wide majestic purple eyes were glassy with adoration.

Eiri's heart swelled as he took in the lithe, sexy man kneeling before him. How had he gotten so lucky? What had he done to deserve this man's love? He did not feel the least bit worthy of all the love Shuichi showered him with every single second of each day. He may not know what exactly it was that attracted Shuichi to him in the first place and what kept him there nearly twenty years later, but he did not intend to let him go, not now, not ever. As medieval as it sounded, Shuichi was his. He was not sure why or how it happened, but over time, he had fallen completely head over heels in love with Shindou Shuichi. Now, he could not even imagine his life without him.

Shuichi cupped Eiri's face between his hands. Eiri's fair complexion seemed even paler against his tan complexion. He pulled Eiri's head down and kissed him, just a light brush of lips, a simple taste, before pulling away. He stared into those hazel eyes golden like the sun eyes darkened with lust and felt himself being pulled in. Shuichi licked along those lips that tasted of cigarettes then swept his tongue inside his partner's willing mouth.

Eiri suckled on the long, meaty instrument. He placed his hands on Shuichi's hips and gently pulled the smaller man's body against his, deepening their kiss. Their tongues danced an erotic mêlée as Eiri slid his hands around Shuichi's waist and down his back to cup his tight, round ass. He squeezed the globes, swallowing the moan his lover elicited. As one of his hands played with Shuichi buttocks, his other hand gripped a leg and wrapped it around his waist.

“Eiri,” Shuichi panted, pulling away. He tilted his head as Eiri kissed a trail along his jaw and down his neck, moaning erotically…Shuichi yelped, his eyes popping open. He glared at his husband and slapped a hand over the side of his neck, growling.

Eiri chuckled, his eyes crinkling with laughter and amusement.

“Must you do that?” Shuichi bit angrily. “Jeeze! My neck is always covered in goddamn hickies! Do you know how embarrassing it is to walk around with bruises on your neck all the time?”

Eiri continued to chuckle, his eyes sparkling in amusement. With one hand holding Shuichi's leg around his waist, he slipped his other hand between the man's ass cheeks. Instantly, he discovered the entrance to the hidden cave. He licked his lips in anticipation. He leaned forward and whispered huskily in Shuichi's ear, “Security measure.”

Shuichi blinked, confused. He took a breath and opened his mouth to question the man further, but Eiri in that moment wiggled a finger into the tight passage. Shuichi's indrawn breath turned into a gasp, half pain, half pleasure as he clamped down around the intruder instinctively. Eiri waited patiently for his partner to relax.

“So tight,” Eiri whispered huskily. “So deliciously tight.” As he felt Shuichi's muscles start to relax, he slid his finger all the way inside before pulling it back out, just as slowly, loosing him. “You're still so tight after all these years and so warm. You know what it feels like in here, Shu-chan?”

“W-wha-?” Shuichi panted. He instantly forgot what the question was he was asked. He did not know anything, could not remember anything or think about anything other than the overwhelming feeling washing over him. He shuddered violently, moaning.

“Rubber. You know what it's going to feel like once I shove my dick inside of you?”

“Ngh!” Shuichi cried as Eiri hit that spot deep inside of him.

In. Out. In. Out.

Eiri pulled his finger out and shoved it back in, only this time with a partner. “It's going to feel so...” He withdrew his fingers and pushed them back inside, going as deep as he could.

“Ah!”

“…damn…” Eiri slid his fingers out and then shoved them violently back in, scissoring them.

“Ah!”

“…good!”

Shuichi arched his back, pushing against the fingers inside of him and tossed his head back. He felt the rush of heat and pleasure. His muscles clamped down around Eiri's fingers and he cried out as the orgasm burst through him, his come erupting all over the both of them like Old Faithful.

Panting, Shuichi sagged between Eiri and the wall. He felt like a limp noodle.

Eiri chuckled as he slid his fingers out of Shuichi. He should remind the baka that they were not at home, but why ruin the mood? “So predictable.”

Shuichi pried open an eye and watched him for a second before his eyes closed. “Not my fault.”

“Oh? Than whose is it?”

“That would be yours, Pal.”

“Really? Am I that good?”

Shuichi snorted. “Ego much?”

Eiri chuckled and pressed himself against Shuichi without entering him, a tease till the end, rubbing himself back and forth.

Shuichi gasped as a jolt raced through his body. He shivered violently and moaned. When Eiri lifted him, he instinctively wrapped his legs around Eiri's waist.

Eiri eased himself inside his husband, pushing ever so slowly and gently. The last thing he wanted was to hurt him. Shuichi hissed squeezing his eyes shut tight. He gripped Eiri's shoulders, his fingernails leaving half moon imprints. When Eiri was completely sheathed inside Shuichi, he looked at him, concern, love and need fighting for face time. Once the pain and discomfort faded, Shuichi sighed and nodded.

Tentatively, Eiri eased out and back in, trying to be gentle.

It felt so good. Eiri always felt so damn good, but this was not what Shuichi wanted. “Eiri, please!” He pressed his lips to Eiri. They fed from one another. Tongues lapping, teeth biting and pulling. Shuichi pulled away, panting. “Please.”

He knew what Shuichi wanted.

Going even slower then before, Eiri pulled out until only the head remained.

Shuichi growled in frustration. “Eir-”

Eiri plunged inside of Shuichi hard and fast, fucking him into the wall.

Shuichi arched away from the tiled wall and cried out. His hands spasmed around Eiri's shoulders. He hugged his body to Eiri's, pressing himself into the other man, just as Eiri thrust himself into him. His body bounced with each thrust, ripping moans and gasps from him.

The singer felt his muscles tighten.

He grabbed handfuls of Eiri's blond hair and bit his lip as Eiri let go of all his inhibitions and thrust into him. “Ah!”

Shuichi dropped his head down, panting. He was flushed and beginning to sweat. Gazing at his partner, he saw nothing there but need and hunger. As if afraid of being watched, Eiri growled and sped up, plunging in and out of Shuichi faster and harder. A wave of pleasure rode over Shuichi. He tore his gaze away and leaned his head back against the wall, riding this man's thick cock as it continued to dive inside him and rip back out, crying out.

God, he felt so good!

“God! I love you, Eiri!” Shuichi cried out.

Both men lost themselves in the intense rhythm of their lovemaking. Shuichi's orgasm burst through him unexpectedly. It started in his toes and rolled through his entire body. His muscles tightened and his inner walls clamped down around Eiri's cock. The added pressure undid Eiri. He dropped his head and grunted, releasing his seed within his lover. Shuichi's vision blacked and a wall of silence encased him. His muscles clamped down and his seed shot out like a dam bursting, coating both his and Eiri chests.

Panting heavily, Shuichi collapsed against Eiri. He did not have an ounce of strength left.

Eiri hugged Shuichi to him. “Are you okay?” he asked Shuichi breathless.

Shuichi grunted, the only thing he could do.

Eiri chuckled and pulled out, his softened cock sliding out of his lover. Shuichi hissed and whimpered softly. “Are you sure you're okay? I didn't hurt you did I?”

“No,” he mumbled, half asleep. “ You'd never hurt me.”

Smiling softly, he picked up his husband, cradling him in his arms and carefully sat back down in the tub. It was only then he noticed the water level had gone down drastically. He peered over the edge of the tub and found the missing water. It was a good thing there was a drain in the middle of the floor. Settling back in the tub, he tightened his hold on his husband who appeared to have fallen asleep. Smiling, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the tiled wall.

 

* * *

 

Shuichi yawned loudly, his jaw popping and his eyes watering from the threshold of the bedroom.

Eiri eyed him. “Tired?” he asked as he made their beds.

Shuichi leaned against the door frame, nodding. He blinked his eyes rapidly, widening them in an effort to stave off sleep for just a few minutes longer, but it was a futile task. If felt like someone was sticking hot pokers in his eyes. He was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open. Rubbing the gathering sleep from his eyes, Shuichi sighed and pushed away from the door, stepping into the bedroom. He trailed his hand lightly across Eiri's shoulder as he stepped around him towards the crib.

Shuichi smiled tenderly down at his sleeping son. His soft feathery black hair was sticking up on end. It looked like Kira had a Mohawk. Shuichi reached out and ran a knuckle lightly over Kira's tanned cheek. He felt warm to the touch. “He's so cute,” he whispered.

“When he's sleeping,” came Eiri's snorted comment behind him.

“Eiri,” Shuichi scolded softly, giggling.

“What?” Eiri asked innocently. He got to his feet with a grunt and stood behind his husband. Draping an arm around Shuichi's shoulder, he gazed down at his infant son. “You know it's true, Shuichi. When he's awake all he does is cry, poop and eat.” A sly smirk crossed his face as what he just said sunk in.

“Don't even,” Shuichi warned. He did not even after look at his husband to know what he was thinking.

Eiri's smirk grew. His eyes sparkled mischievously. “Don't what? Don't say that-”

“You finish that sentence and-“

“And what?”

“And it’ll be only you and your hand for a month,” Shuichi threatened.

Eiri's smirk fell. “You wouldn't.”

“Try me,” Shuichi smiled deviously.

Eiri squinted.

“Better yet,” Shuichi said, deep in thought. He turned around to face Eiri and draped his hands around his neck, linking his fingers behind him head.

Eiri set his hands on Shuichi's hips, waiting.

“I can go sleep on the couch in the living room.”

Eiri snorted. “That's a punishment?” he asked in amusement, wrapping his arms around his husband's waist, pulling him against him.

Shuichi's grin widened. Nodding, his eyes sparkled in amusement. He rose to his tiptoes and whispered in Eiri's ear, “It is when that means you'll have to take care of Kira when he wakes up in the middle of the night every night for a month.”

Eiri's eye was twitching as he pulled away, rubbing his sensitive ear.

Giggling, Shuichi gave his husband a quick kiss before he pulled away and went to check on the boys.

He chuckled when he saw Keitaro. The boy had kicked off his covers and they were now heaped at the foot of the bed. Keitaro's legs were stretched out in a “V”, his feet stretched out towards the corners at the foot of the bed and his arms were curled up besides his head. His face was turned toward the wall and his mouth was slightly ajar. A little drool pooled on the pillow. Half of his spikes were matted down while the other half was sticking up. The white pajama bottoms were hiked up his legs and his shirt had ridden up, showing his pale belly. Shuichi did not even bother to pull the covers back over him. It was pointless. Keitaro would just kick them back off. Besides, it was a relatively warm night anyway. After planting a kiss on the boy's forehead, he rounded the bed and went up the ladder to check on Kane.

Unlike his brother, Kane was curled up into a tight little ball under the covers in the middle of the bed. Only the top of his blond head was visible. His hair was so long that it had to be braided before he went to bed, otherwise it would end up stuck underneath him when he was sleeping. That had happened on several occasions, where Kane had tried to get up, but could not because his long hair was trapped under his elbows. Eiri suggested maybe it was time for Kane to get a haircut if it was such a bother. The poor kid had had a panic attack at the mere suggestion.

_“I don't wanna get my hair cut!”_ he would whine.

Shuichi giggled at the memory. Kane wanted to be exactly like him. It was so cute. It annoyed the hell out of Eiri, though.

_“One of you is more than enough,”_ Eiri would say.

Climbing down the ladder, Shuichi walked back over to Eiri who was watching him from besides the crib and wrapped his arms around his waist, laying his head on his chest. He closed his eyes and smiled, sighing contently. He heard the muffled thump-thump of his loves heart.

Eiri hugged him back and planted a kiss on his head.

Shuichi lifted his head and stared up into those golden hazel eyes he loved so much, but before he could express those thoughts out loud, a tiny whimper cut through the silence of the room. Groaning, Shuichi dropped his head forward. “Damn. I swear that kid's psychic.”

Eiri chuckled.

Every time Shuichi and he tried to get ready for bed, or tried to have some private time, Kira started making a fuss then refused to go back to sleep. It amazed Eiri that they had been able to have as much time alone tonight as they had. He should have known it was too good to be true.

Shuichi was too tired to deal with Kira, especially since they had to get up early for his grandfather's wake the next morning, but he did not have much of a choice. Pushing away from Eiri, he turned towards the crib just as Kira’s silent whimpers morphed into loud wails. His face was scrunched up and turning red.

Eiri stepped forward. “Let me take care of him,” he volunteered. “You need to get some sleep.”

Shuichi shook his head as he gently lifted his wiggling son out of the crib. “No,” he said, “that's okay. I'll do it. It's my turn anyway.”

“Shuichi-”

Shuichi walked up to his husband and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before strolling out of the room. He stopped outside the doorway, a squirming, screaming Kira in his arms. “Besides,” he whispered, struggling to hold Kira, “I haven't been paying much attention to the boys lately. I've been too busy working on my book.”

Eiri gazed at his husband sympathetically. That was exactly why he thought Shuichi should get some sleep, but his lover had a point. Besides, there was no arguing with him. The man was as stubborn as a mule. Sighing, he nodded. “Fine.”

Shuichi smiled over his shoulder at his husband before turning back around and smiling down at his son. “Alright, come on. Let's go before you wake up the whole household.” He walked down the hall and vanished down the staircase.

Eiri walked towards the bedroom door and as he started to close it, he heard his partner exclaim over their son's incredible wails, “Pew! No wonder you woke up. You so stinky!” Eiri chuckled and shook his head. “Daddy thinks you take after me, but ya know what?” Eiri strained his ears to listen. “I'm not the one who takes major dumps and stinks up the bathroom. THAT would be Daddy's fault.” Eiri snorted, his mouth twitching into a smile. Shaking his head, he closed the bedroom door.

 

* * *

 

Standing up, Shuichi walked through the living room and into the kitchen, heading straight towards the garbage can with the diaper held out at arms length. Behind him, he could hear his son's cries following him. “I swear someone slipped a laxative in Kira's milk,” he said out loud. Lifting the lid of the trash can, Shuichi dropped the heavy load in and shut the lid again, closing off the nauseating smell.

 

* * *

 

Soft, melodious humming filtered throughout the sleeping household. Shuichi smiled down at his son he was holding securely but gently in his arms. Those large brown eyes stared unblinkingly up at him as Kira sucked hungrily at the bottle. Curled up in the corner of the couch, Shuichi giggled and placed a kiss on his son's forehead. Kira acted as if he had not eaten in days.

“You and your brother's get to go visit Uncle Hiro and Uncle Fujisaki tomorrow while Daddy and I go to Grandpa's Wake,” Shuichi told him. He blinked back a sudden well of tears and cleared a constricted throat. “Yes, you are,” he continued, his voice strained. “It's too bad Kazahaya-kun won't be there, though. Keitaro and Kane would probably love to see him again.” He looked down at his son. “Right? What do you think?”

Kira just continued staring up at him.

Shuichi giggled again. Sighing, he leaned his head back against the back of the couch and yawned loudly.

His smile slipped as he thought about his best friend. Their relationship had never gotten back to what it used to be, but the man was still like a brother to him and he trusted him with his life. But while their relationship had been slowly coming together, Hiro's marriage to Ayaka was falling apart. Hiro refused to talk about what happened between Ayaka and him, but being his best friend, Shuichi could guess.

Ayaka had always been a sweet, quiet girl who liked to keep to herself and just could not handle all the paparazzi that was suddenly thrust unwillingly upon her after the press discovered she was with the hot, genius guitarist. And then there was the fact that Bad Luck was always so busy. Hiro just did not have time to devote to her any more. They slowly began drifting apart. Nothing changed after Hiro and she married. If anything it only made things worse. She had no privacy anymore. She was a prisoner trapped in her own home because of the paparazzi and even worse, all the Bad Luck fans. What she hated the most was that she saw even less of her husband. She felt as if Hiro had left her behind. She was absolutely miserable. Ayaka just could not handle it, despite how much she loved Hiro. In a last ditch effort, they tried having a child to save their marriage. At first it seemed as if things might actually work out after all, but then suddenly one day it was announced that they were separating.

Shuichi was sure there was something more to that story because the ink on the divorce papers was not even dry when Fujisaki moved in with Hiro. Shuichi suspected that Ayaka had not been the only one who had been lonely.

Yawning, Shuichi lifted his head and gazed down at Kira. It appeared he had finally fallen back asleep. Smiling tenderly down at the sleeping baby, Shuichi set the now empty bottle on the coffee table and grabbing the white cloth diaper that sat next to it, placed it over his shoulder. Gently, Shuichi lifted Kira and held him against his shoulder. As he started patting Kira's back, Shuichi's mind wondered from his best friend to his grandfather.

A flurry of butterflies fluttered in his stomach. Shuichi had never been so nervous in his entire life. He would feel more comfortable and at ease in front of a firing squad.

“Everything'll work out,” he assured himself out loud. “Right, Kira?”

Kira answered with a loud belch

 

**…To Be Continued…**


	3. Saying Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuichi says goodbye to his grandfather.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Information about Buddhist funerals was taken from a blog I found online when I first wrote this. I don’t remember much about it now. As I was born and raised Roman Catholic, I do not know much about about Buddhist rites, so forgive me if I fudged up.

**Chapter 3: Saying Goodbye**

**The Next Morning - Ozaki Funeral Home**

It was a nondescript white shingled single-story building with black trim. “Ozaki Funeral Home” written in large black script on the façade was the only factor that differentiated the building from the other homes in the neighborhood. That and the sea of black top surrounding the building that was already half full of vehicles. A one and a half car garage sat silent and forlorn on the other side of the lot.

Nobody ever looked twice at a funeral parlor. People pass them every day and never think twice about them. With their empty parking lots, they give the impression of being just like any ordinary building waiting sitting vacant for new tenants, but everything changes once a family is in need of one. Suddenly the forgotten building is thrust back into the limelight and everyone suddenly remembers that it is indeed a funeral parlor.

Eiri pulled into the parking lot, passing a large white sign with “Todono” painted in large black characters. As Eiri circled the lot to find a spot closest to the door, he passed an older couple strolling towards the funeral parlor. As etiquette demanded, the man was wearing a black suit and tie with a white button down dress shirt. His companion, who was most likely his wife, was wearing a long black dress, black stockings and a pearl necklace. Both were clutching Buddhist beads. No red was allowed at funerals, for that color was indicative of a celebration. Eiri always wondered about that. While people attending a funeral could not wear anything with red on it, women were allowed to wear red lipstick. Did a rose by any other name not smell as sweet?

Eiri had dressed in a black suit as well, but in lee of a white shirt, he had chosen a light green one and had forgone a tie. He was not a big fan of them. Besides, Kira had spit up on the only black tie he had. Unlike him, Shuichi was wearing a tie, though worn loosely. He was not too fond of ties either, though he could wear a choker for hours on end. Go figure. Shuichi had decided not to wear a white shirt either nor was he was wearing a suit coat. Instead, he had on a black button down dress shirt.

Finding a spot, Eiri parked and cut the engine. Sitting back, he glanced at his partner, who had been quiet during the entire ride. He reached out and gripped Shuichi's hand lightly.

Shuichi jumped, startled, but continued to stare blankly out the passenger side window.

“What's up?” Eiri asked his partner softly, his thumb playing with the gold band with its inset pink gem. Shuichi remained silent for so long Eiri thought he was not going to say anything.

“I think that was my grandfather's half brother and his wife,” Shuichi said. He turned his hand over and laced his fingers with Eiri's.

Eiri blinked, confused, until he realized Shuichi was talking about the couple he spied earlier walking through the parking lot. “He looked a little too young to be your grandfather's brother.”

“Half-brother,” Shuichi corrected. “But you're right. I always thought so, too. Grandpa Todono must've been in his mid-seventies and Uncle…Satoshi,” he finally remembered, “was maybe half his age.”

“Half?” Eiri repeated incredibly. “How the hell did that happen?”

“Grandpa is the oldest and from what I've been told, Great Grandpa had an affair with some chick. She got pregnant.” He paused. “When Uncle Satoshi's mother passed away, Great Grandma took him in and raised him.”

Eiri blinked, amazed. “Your grandmother took in the child her husband had with another woman?” he repeated slowly, not sure he heard his husband correctly.

Shuichi shrugged. “That's what my mother told me.”

Times sure had changed. If he were in her shoes, Eiri was not sure if he would have done the same thing.

“I've only seen him a handful of times,” Shuichi continued in his monotonous voice. “He runs several businesses in Osaka.”

Eiri squeezed his husband's hand.

“I don't want to do this,” Shuichi admitted after several long minutes of silence. He turned and glanced at Eiri, his eyes shinning with unshed tears.

Eiri reached out with his free hand and brushed the back of his hand across Shuichi's cheek.

Lifting their intertwined hands, Eiri placed a chaste kiss on Shuichi's knuckles. “Do you remember what I said last night?”

_“Maybe you were scared,” Eiri answered before he had time to think about it._

_Shuichi pulled back and searched his lover's face. “Of what?” he sobbed, tears coursing down his face._

_“You haven't seen him in how many years?” Eiri fingered Shuichi's hair. “ Nobody could blame you for being scared about facing him after all these years, especially after the way the two of you parted. Your grandfather basically disowned you and all because you followed your heart and not the leader. Twenty years is a long time, Shu.”_

_“But-!”_

_Eiri hushed him by placing his finger over those soft, kissable lips. “Stop it, Shu. You have nothing to feel guilty about. Okay? Remember what I said earlier? Things happen.”_

Shuichi nodded. He did remember, but unlike last night, he could not find comfort in those words. A stray tear trickled down his face.

Eiri brushed away the droplet with his knuckle. “Let's go.”

Shuichi nodded and stepped out of the car. Shutting the door behind him, he shoved his hands deep into his pockets and rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, staring at his new, shiny black shoes. From behind him, he heard the familiar beep-beep as Eiri locked the car and set the car alarm. He looked up as Eiri stepped up besides him, holding out a hand. Shuichi smiled up at his husband and grabbed his hand. Together they walked towards the funeral parlor.

As they stepped over the threshold, they were met with a sudden blast of cool air that raised goose bumps all over Shuichi's body. Eiri, unfazed by the overtly cool interior, glanced around and took in the surroundings quickly.

The interior of the building was floor to ceiling wood paneling. There was only one window at the far end of the hallway and it did not cast much light in the building. The already heavy, gloomy atmosphere seemed even more so with the absence of the bright morning sun. A red runner ran down the center of the hallway. On either side were small square tables with a lamp and faux floral display sitting atop each and a chair on either side. Both matched the décor.

Eiri could hear soft murmurings coming from down the hall. He assumed that was the Todono party because he had not seen any indication of any other funerals taking place.

As he continued deeper into the depths of the unknown, he was jerked backwards. Coming to a halt, he blinked in confusion and turned around to glance at his husband. The singer was pale and his hand was shaking within his. “Shuichi?” he called softly, coming to stand before him.

Shuichi blinked and shook himself, startled back to the present.

Eiri reached out and smoothed a hand over Shuichi's soft black hair down his face. He smiled softly down at the man. “What're you thinking about?” he asked, cupping Shuichi's cheek.

Shuichi returned Eiri's smile reflexively. He covered Eiri's hand with his and leaned into the comforting touch. “Trying not to,” he admitted.

Planting a kiss on Shuichi's forehead, Eiri chuckled. “Come on.”

Nodding, Shuichi let Eiri pull him down the hall.

Eiri caught sight of two men standing outside the open double doors of the parlor, speaking and occasionally chuckling. When they saw Eiri and Shuichi they inclined their heads. Eiri nodded back. The one on the right looked a little familiar, but he could not place him.

Frozen, his mind blank, Shuichi stared through the open doors. He could see his grandfather's closed coffin. It was draped in a gold-embroidered fabric. A photograph of his grandfather was sitting atop the coffin with black ribbons tied diagonally around the frame. Shuichi choked back a sob. He tightened his hold on Eiri's hand, jerking the older man to a halt once again as his vision distorted behind a shroud of tears.

Unconsciously, he stepped closer to Eiri.

Eiri gazed down briefly at Shuichi and then up at whom he assumed was Todono Ranmaru, Shuichi's infamous grandfather. Shuichi had not been kidding when he said he inherited his looks from him. In the picture, Todono looked every day his seventy-some odd years. He had a shock of thick grey hair slicked back. His steely purple eyes were hard, but at the same time, they seemed to sparkle with mischief and smile out over his family. His face was lined and his jowls loose. He had a grim expression on his face, but it seemed more mocking then real. But despite the time worn appearance of the man, Eiri saw much of his Shuichi in Todono. It was like looking at an aged photograph of his lover. The exception being that Shuichi, besides being a homosexual, was also a metro-sexual. He was very picky about his personal appearance. Todono, on the other hand, was all masculine. No plucked and shaped brows. No touches of eyeliner, foundation or lip-gloss and no manicures, pedicures or facials for this man.

On either side of the coffin, there were two vases overflowing with white lilies and another flower he could not identify.

“They were what my grandparents had at their wedding,” Shuichi whispered from besides him.

“Huh?” Eiri turned towards his husband in confusion.

Shuichi jerked his chin towards the far side of the room. “The flowers.”

“Hm.” Eiri nodded.

Gulping, Shuichi took a deep breath and forced his feet to move. One step at a time, he told himself. Just put one foot in front of the other. They stepped into the soft hum of the large chair-less parlor filled with a sea of black clad people.

As Eiri followed Shuichi towards the coffin, he grew conscious of the fact that they seemed to be the center of attention. People were watching them openly, whispering and pointing. Some were looking at them with open disgust and contempt. A few had blank expressions on their faces. Then there were those who obviously recognized who Shuichi and he were. Their eyes bugged out of their heads and their mouths were like giant gaping black holes. He heard a few not so suppressed squeals, a round of gasps and some sputterings from behind them that sounded like their neighbors car. He took them all in nonchalantly.

When Shuichi suddenly let go of his hand, Eiri turned to watch as his partner strolled through the crowd in a hypnotic trance that parted as if he were Moses. He followed silently.

In front of the coffin was a table with two tall lit candles and between them was an incense box, about the size of a shoe box, which was divided in two. The left side was smoldering and the other side held some sort of incense that looked like pepper. Another box sat on the table holding stick-incense. Next to it was an ash filled urn. In front of the table was a cushion.

Eiri watched as Shuichi walked up the table, his eyes never leaving the closed casket that held the empty shell of his beloved grandfather and knelt on the cushion to pay his respects. After a moment's hesitation, Eiri stepped forward and knelt besides him. Shuichi turned towards him and smiled gratefully. Eiri smiled back.

Together the men took a pinch of the peppery incense, bowed and deposited the incense in the burning side of the incense box. They repeated this two more times before they steepled their fingers in prayer. Then they each took an incense stick from the second box and held them up to the candles to light them. With their free hands, Shuichi and Eiri flapped the flame to extinguish it, making it smolder and stuck the incense in the urn among the others. They allowed the fumes to drift back towards them. It is said the smoke has a purifying effect, shooing off any wandering spirits that might otherwise follow you home.

Eiri pushed to his feet with a grunt. Seconds later, Shuichi stood up and stepped back beside him. He grabbed his husband’s hand, lacing their fingers together.

“Thank you,” Shuichi whispered.

“For what?”

“For being here.” Shuichi tipped his head up and stared into Eiri's golden eyes. “This means a lot to me that you're here with me.”

“Idiot,” Eiri snorted. Dipping his head, he brushed their lips together. He ignored the startled gasps echoing around them. When he pulled back, he smirked at the light blush that covered his husband's face. He was so damned cute. “Why wouldn't I be?”

“Cousin,” a sudden cry rose behind them.

Curious, Shuichi and Eiri turned and watched a pair of identical twins push their way through the gathered crowd. Shuichi smiled widely. “Kei! Kai!” he cried, throwing himself onto his cousins.

Eiri rolled his eyes, sighing.

Shuichi's identical twin cousins, Shiro Kei and Kai. They also happened to be his husband's ex-band mates. After K left Bad Luck, Fujisaki replaced him as the bands manager and Kei and Kai were recruited as new band members, along with their American exchange student friend Michael. When Bad Luck disbanded, the twin’s concentrated full time on their side project, a band they formed with a couple of their high school buddies called Headrush, who Tohma agreed to sign to an independent record label under the NG Productions brand. According to Shuichi Headrush were doing pretty well for themselves. Not surprisingly, Headrush was not a pop/rock band like Bad Luck, but was instead, an alternative rock band that fused traditional Japanese sounds into their music.

“Eiri-san.”

Kai's voice snapped him out of his retrieve. “Shiro,” Eiri greeted with a small nod.

“Hey, there, Eiri-san,” Kei greeted as he and Shuichi pulled apart.

Eiri inclined his head in greeting to him.

“We were surprised when we were told you were here,” Kai said, turning towards Shuichi.

Shuichi's face fell. He nodded. “I just wish I would have come sooner,” he whispered.

Eiri, not sure Shuichi had meant for his twin cousins to hear that, studied his husband with a deep frown. Even after everything he’d said to him, Shuichi still felt guilty. Of course, from personal experience, Eiri knew those feelings were not going to just evaporate overnight.

Kei and Kai studied their cousin sympathetically.

“Anyway,” Shuichi cried happily, his mood transforming, “what about you guys? I thought you were supposed to be on tour?”

“We are,” Kai affirmed with a nod.

Shuichi stared at his cousin in confusion.

“We decided to cancel the next few concert dates and reschedule them,” Kai explained.

“Wow. They let you do that?” Shuichi asked in wonder.

“The guys understood. They were cool with it.”

Kei rolled his eyes with a snort. “They were, but nobody else was. I mean canceling several shows at the last minute and then trying to fit them onto the schedule somewhere? Especially, when the arenas were already booked?” Kei shook his head. “Our manager was pissed!”

“Were you able to pull if off?” Shuichi asked.

“Of course!” Kei assured brashly.

Shuichi was amazed. He never would have been able to get away with that back when Bad Luck was in their heyday. Neither K nor Fujisaki would have allowed it. He had to admit he envied his cousins. Speaking of which… “Hey, have you guys heard from Michael?”

Kai nodded. “Yeah. We talked to him the other day.”

“He told us to say ‘hi’ and to send along his condolences,” Kei added.

“That means he feels sorry for your loss,” Eiri clarified for his husband.

Shuichi turned to glare at his blond writer. “You think?” he retorted.

Kei and Kai chuckled.

Eiri stood back, smirking. “So, how's the guy doing?” he asked, turning away and trying to ignore his husband.

“Not bad,” Kai answered. “Anzu and he will be celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary next week.”

“Well,” Kei drawled. He exchanged a look with his brother. “They would be anyway.”

Shuichi gave his husband one last evil glare before turning towards his cousins. “'Would be'?” He looked from one of them to another, waiting for an explanation.

Kei and Kai nodded.

“It's just a trail separation for now,” Kai said.

Shuichi's eyes widened in shock. “They're separated? Oh, man. That sucks. What happened?”

“You heard about how Anzu had a miscarriage?” Kei asked his cousin.

Shuichi nodded. He remembered Michael calling him in the middle of the night a couple months ago. The man had been a complete and utter wreck. He knew exactly how the man felt. Losing a child is never easy.

“Yeah, well, Anzu still hasn't been able to…ya know, get over it.”

“That's understandable,” Eiri said.

Shuichi looked over his shoulder at his husband. They exchanged a knowing look.

Kai nodded. “Yeah, well, she blames Michael.”

“What?!” Shuichi stared wide eyed at the man in shock.

“Yeah,” Kei nodded. “You know how he's been working hard to start up his own music production company right?”

Shuichi nodded. For awhile after he returned home to the States, Michael just spent time with his family, but then he began to get restless, so, he started working for a small independent record label as a studio musician and producer. He even helped co-write several songs for a couple of the bands under contract with the record company. Then, over the last couple of years, he had been talking about starting his own company.

“Anzu claims that because he's been spending so much time working…” Kei left the rest unsaid.

That made absolutely no sense, but then Anzu was grieving.

“She just needs time alone to grieve and think things over,” Eiri told them. “She lost a child. That's not a small thing. This'll either bring them closer together or will be what breaks the camels back.”

Shuichi frowned dejectedly. First Hiro and Ayaka, then Maiko and her husband and now Michael and Anzu. He had to admit, he felt guilty that his marriage was still going so strong, that his relationship with Eiri was like a fine wine. It gets better with age.

Eiri knew what his husband was thinking. Why Shuichi had to feel guilty about everything was a mystery to him. He hardly ever felt guilty and felt the need to apologize even less so. What was the point of apologizing or having remorse for something that you could not help or take it back no matter how much you wanted to? What is done is done. What is, is. And Shuichi will always be Shuichi, no matter how idiotic or mystifying he may be.

Shuichi lifted his head and smiled up at his husband when he felt him start rubbing his back. Sighing, he leaned against Eiri's side.

“Anyway,” Kei continued, looking around. “Where're the mini-brats?”

Eiri smirked at that as it was how he referred to his boys as well; it was a very apt comparison.

“At Hiro and Fujisaki's,” Shuichi said.

“We'll have to stop by while we're in town,” Kai said.

Shuichi brightened and nodded, smiling. “Sure! The boys would really like that. We could have a barbecue, or something.” He turned pleading eyes towards his husband. “What do you think, Eiri? Could we?”

Eiri sighed heavily and rolled his eyes. “Sure.”

Shuichi squealed. “Oh,” he suddenly cried, his eyes wide. “You haven't seen Kira yet, have you?”

Taking that as his cue, Eiri took out his wallet and pulled out a picture of his three brats.

“Nope,” Kai shook his head. “He's gotta be pretty big by now, huh?” He took the picture Eiri held out.

Shuichi giggled, nodding. “He's so adorable!”

“Oh, wow!” Kei exclaimed. “Kei-kun and Kane-kun look more like you now then they did the last time we saw them,” he told Eiri.

“Don't they?” Shuichi giggled. He slid his husband a sly glance. “You should see them when they're all together!”

Eiri glared at his husband.

“They've gotten so big,” Kai said.

“They're like weeds,” Eiri snorted.

Shuichi giggled.

“You can easily tell which twin is which,” Kei said. “Keitaro-kun is the conservative one, right?”

“Yeah and Kane is the small flamboyant one,” Eiri agreed with a nod.

Shuichi smacked Eiri's arm. “Eiri! How can you say that about your own son?”

“Easily,” he snorted. “It's true.”

Kei tossed his head back and roared with laughter.

“And this little guy is Kira-kun?” Kai asked.

Shuichi beamed. “Yep.”

“Wow. He looks nothing like his brothers.”

Kei glanced over his brother's shoulder and blinked. “You're right. He looks like you, Shu,” he said, looking from the picture to Shuichi and back.

Shuichi blushed.

“So,” Kai started, as he handed back the photograph. “Do any of the boys…” He lowered his voice and leaned towards Shuichi and Eiri, so as not to be overheard. “Ya know…are they…?”

Shuichi knew immediately what his cousin was asking and shook his head. “Keitaro and Kane are normal five year old boys.”

“What about Kira?” Kei asked.

Shuichi shrugged.

“We don't know yet,” Eiri answered. “We wanted to wait until he was a little older to go in for a test.”

Kai and Kei nodded.

A sly grin crept onto Kei's face. “So,” he asked, “any plans for more children?”

Shuichi blushed hotly. He swatted his cousin. “Kei!”

The drummer laughed. “What? I just asked.”

Eiri smirked. More children, huh? He would not mind having a daughter, actually.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the crowd shifting aside. He looked up, curious as to what was going on and watched as a small woman stepped through the crowd. She was small like Shuichi with dark eyes and salt and pepper hair that was pulled back into a neat ponytail. Instead of a dress, she was wearing black dress slacks, a white blouse and a black suit coat. A strand of pearls was clasped around her neck. Her face was lined and heavy with sorrow, but there was carefully concealed hope as well. She was staring at Shuichi longingly.

“Shuichi?”

Shuichi froze. His laughter choked to a halt and his smile slipped off his face. His eyes got real wide.

Kei and Kai glanced over their shoulders and stepped aside.

Eiri laced his and Shuichi's hands. He noticed instantly that Shuichi was shaking again.

“ _O-obachan_ ,” Shuichi whispered, stuttering.

Eiri eyed the woman once more. So this was Shuichi's grandmother. He glanced at Shuichi. He had tears coursing down his face. He wondered what was going through his baka's mind.

“Shuichi,” Grandmother Todono whispered. She stepped forward and held out her arms. Like her grandson, she too had tears in her eyes. Now he knew where Shuichi and his mother got it from. Family trait. That meant the boys would probably catch it. Damn.

Shuichi glanced up at him through tear filled eyes, silently asking him what he should do. He nodded once. Shuichi gave his hand a quick squeeze before letting go and racing towards his grandmother. He flung himself at her, sobbing. As Grandmother and Grandson embraced, crying openly, a wave of applause rippled throughout the parlor.

Eiri smiled. Much to his chagrin, his eyes misted and his throat tightened around a sob.

“This was a long time coming,” Kei explained, stepping up besides Eiri.

Eiri nodded, never taking his eyes off his husband.

 

* * *

  
  
He had been so scared of facing his grandfather again. Like Eiri said, they had not parted on the best of terms. Things were said on both sides.

Grandfather Todono had not liked what Shuichi was, what he had become and where his life had been heading. He’d wanted to mold and shape Shuichi into his likeness, but Shuichi just hadn’t wanted that to happen. In order for him to be who he wanted to be and not what someone else wanted him to be, in order for him to wake up in the morning and be able to recognize the man in the mirror, he had been forced to sacrifice someone who was so dear to him.

He had been scared of being here today, scared of what everyone would think of him and his presence. What would they think of him, his husband, and their lifestyle, of his decision to not hide who he was, to be so open with both his homosexuality and being a Bearer? What would they all think of his being here at his grandfather's wake?

He had been so full of guilt for deciding not to return his grandfather's call, guilt for not taking the hand offered. Whether it was to propose a truce or to plead with him one last time to “stop this insanity”, it must have taken a lot for his grandfather to swallow his pride and take that first step. Shuichi felt guilty for acting so childishly, for being too scared to make one little phone call, guilty for letting his fear cloud his mind. If only he would have…If he just would have…he might have been able to…He felt guilty for not being there to say goodbye.

“I wasn't sure if you'd want me here,” Shuichi confessed, crying.

“What?” Grandmother Todono gasped, startled. She pulled away and searched the face that looked so much like her Ranmaru's. His face was twisted in a mask of shame and dread. “Oh, Shuichi!” She held her grandson tightly, refusing to let him go, unable to let him go. “Why would you even think something like that?”

Shuichi sobbed loudly and tightened his hold on his grandmother. Did she mean…? Was she saying…? “Is it really okay for me to be here?”

In that one sentence, Grandmother Todono knew that her grandson had been suffering just as much as her Ranmaru had been all these years. Her hold on the boy tightened. “Yes,” she sobbed in a silent whisper. “Yes, it is.”

Another loud sob and the knot around Shuichi's heart started to unravel.

“He was so proud of you,” his grandmother whispered.

Shuichi blinked, unsure and confused. He pulled back from his grandmother, wiping his snot and tear filled face on his shirt sleeve. “What?” he asked, his sobs lessening as he tried to make sense of what it was she said.

“Your grandfather.”

Fresh tears welled in Shuichi's eyes.

“It hurt him to say all those things,” she was saying.

Shuichi immediately knew what she was referring to and to tell the truth, the same could be said for him as well.

“After you stormed out of the house that day, he ended up crying himself to sleep.”

Shuichi gasped. That surprised him. Todono Ranmaru? Crying? That was like saying Lucifer went to Church. He pulled away and stared incredibly at his grandmother. “Yeah, right.”

She nodded with a smile. “He loved you, Shuichi. He thought of you as a son.”

Tears started to flow freely down Shuichi's face.

“And all he wanted was for you to be happy. He had your best interests at heart.”

Shuichi knew all that, but it did not lessen the hurt or the betrayal he felt at how his grandfather treated him the last time he saw him.

“Growing up,” his grandmother was saying, “music used to be Ran's passion, but unlike you, he folded under the pressure and allowed himself to be turned into his father and his father before him. He conformed to others expectations.” She smiled at him and fingered his long black hair. “He didn't want that for you, but he knew how unpredictable the music industry was. There were no guarantees and he didn't want you living out on the street. Your grandfather wanted you to be financially secure. He wanted your future to be a sure thing and mapped out. That's all.”

Shuichi choked out a sob. A stray tear slid down his face.

She looked over her grandson's shoulder at the tall, blond haired man and smiled softly before returning her gaze to Shuichi. “Yes, he was against your relationship with Yuki-san,” she admitted. She watched her grandson's face falter. “Mostly, I think, because he was scared.”

Shuichi sniffled and looked at the older woman in shock and disbelief. “Scared? What was he afraid of?”

“Of losing you. Of what you being involved with a man would mean.”

Shuichi did not need any clarification this time. He knew what she was getting at.

“Ranmaru grew up hating who he was--what he was. He was ashamed and embarrassed. A man was a man. Admitting to something like this made you less than a man. He was old fashioned and traditional that way, but you…You knew what you were, who you were and you refused to pretend to be anything else. You were proud and happy and did not apologize for being something other than normal.”

Tears trickled down Shuichi's face. The knot loosened a little bit more.

“And he understood.”

Shuichi stared at his grandmother through tear blurred vision. “What?”

Grandmother Todono smiled tenderly. “He understood. But because he was so proud…It took him years to finally get up the nerve to ask your mother for your phone number and then another several to actually call you.” She pulled Shuichi into a tight hug. “He loved you Shuichi and did not blame you for anything.”

The knot unraveled completely and fell away. Shuichi buried his face in his grandmother's shoulder and sobbed. The guilt and fright that had been weighing heavily in his heart and soul vanished, leaving him feeling lighter and better than he had in a very long time.

 

* * *

 

The funeral parlor echoed with the monotone Gregorian-like chant from the Buddhist priest with his clean shaven head and decked out in full monk apparel. The youngish male sat on the cushion in front of the incense-box reading Buddhist scripture with the mourners assembled behind him on their own cushions. With his back to them, the monk took some cooked rice and put it in a glass of water as a food offering, replacing the chopsticks vertically in the rice bowl afterwards. He rang a prayer bell and struck a wooden, cowbell-like instrument. Meanwhile, everybody assembled behind him took a pinch of the peppery incense from one of the several boxes being passed around, bowed, and placed it in the fuming side, letting the scented smoke roll over them.

The ceremony seemed to go on forever. In Eiri's personal experience, the ceremony did more for the dead than the living even though the whole point of a funeral was to console the living, to give them some comfort and some sense of finality. The dead were dead. What you did or did not do did not much matter because they had moved on to the next big thing, whatever that might be.

After what seemed like forever, but was in actuality only about 45 minutes, the ceremony concluded. A round of grunts, hisses and popping knees resounded through the parlor as people slowly got to their feet.

Eiri stretched his legs out in front of him, groaning. Now he remembered why he hated funerals. Kneeling for an hour should be against the law. He also despised that lifeless corpse lying in the coffin that looked as if any minute its eyes would pop open. Just thinking of that empty shell suddenly sitting up like something out of the _Night of the Living Dead_ freaked the hell out of him. Yes, it was heartbreaking that Grandfather Todono had passed away, but the sooner the Wake ended, the sooner he could get the hell away from this place. He suppressed a shudder.

Eiri looked over at Shuichi. His husband was staring blankly at the closed casket, his clenched jaw muscles twitching.

Eiri looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He nodded at Maiko as she walked by him. His sister-in-law had arrived late to the Wake, arriving just as the ceremony had commenced. He wondered what had kept her?

The craving for a cigarette was even greater now, but he fought it back.

“Thanks, Eiri,” Shuichi whispered, his voice thick with tears. Eiri looked at his husband as Shuichi dropped his head onto his shoulder, still staring at the closed coffin that held the body of his grandfather.

Eiri rested his head against his partner's and rubbed slow, lazy circles on his back. “You're an idiot,” he whispered lightly.

Sniffling, Shuichi smirked. “I know.” He lifted his head and wiped his nose on his shirt sleeve. He watched his grandmother who was sitting several rows ahead of them speaking to the young monk who was still kneeling on his cushion. Sitting besides her was his parents on one side and his aunt and uncle Shiro, Kei and Kai's parents, on the other. But he did not see his sister. “Have you seen Maiko?” he asked Eiri, glancing around the parlor.

“She went to help the women set up the table.”

Shuichi nodded. “I hope she's going to be okay.”

“Don't worry. She's strong,” Eiri reminded Shuichi, still rubbing his back.

“Hm.” Shuichi leaned into his husband's touch. It was always so soothing and comforting.

“How're you feeling?”

“Better, actually.” Shuichi turned to look back at his grandmother.

The monk was just standing up. Like everyone else, he grimaced as he got to his feet. He bowed to his grandmother, her children and their spouses and walked casually out of the parlor, stopping to exchange a few pleasantries with a few of the other guests along the way.

Shuichi returned his gaze to his grandmother. A frown crossed his face. “I feel kinda sorry for her,” he confessed. “I mean she lost the man she spent the last sixty years of her life with. I can't even imagine what she must be going through.” Eiri kissed the top of his head. Shuichi wrapped his arms around Eiri's waist, resting his head against his husband's chest. “I don't know what I'd do if I lost you.”

“You won't,” Eiri said softly, stroking Shuichi's back. “Not for a very long time.”

“Hey guys,” came a voice from behind them.

Eiri and Shuichi looked up to see the Shiro twins.

“We're out of here,” Kei told them.

“You're leaving already?” Shuichi asked.

Kai nodded. “Yeah. We came straight here from the airport and frankly, I'm exhausted.”

Shuichi nodded in sympathy. He definitely understood that feeling.

“We were actually in Kyoto right about to do a concert when Dad called us,” Kei informed them.

Shuichi gasped, his eyes wide. “Oh God! What you do?”

“We went on,” Kai said.

“How'd you pull that off?”

“It wasn't easy.”

“We had to act as if nothing was wrong,” Kei added.

Shuichi shook his head. He could not even imagine doing a concert after learning that someone he cared about passed away.

“During the encore, we dedicated a special unplugged version of ‘Away From You’ to him,” Kai said, his voice tight.

“Awe! Really? That's so sweet!” Shuichi cooed.

“Away From You” was one of Bad Luck's rock songs from their second to last album. Of course, Shuichi had written it about what he went through when he was “away from” his blond lover. It was of days that seemed to drag on forever and even longer, tear filled lonely nights. It was about phone calls that began and ended with exclamations of, “I miss you”. It was actually one of the first songs that the twins helped him write.

Letting go of his husband, Shuichi pushed to his feet, grunting. He winced, hissing as his knees popped and pain laced through his legs. He gripped Eiri's shoulder for balance as he staggered.

“You okay?” Kai asked his cousin in concern.

Shuichi nodded. “Yeah,” he said, flinching. He rubbed his right knee.

Eiri kept a close eye on his lover, making sure he really was alright.

“Besides, Dad hasn't been feeling too good,” Kei continued, jerking his chin towards the man who was currently speaking with one of their grandfather's many brothers.

Eiri followed where the younger man was indicating. When he saw who exactly Shiro-san was, he realized it was the man he had seen standing in the hallway when Shuichi and he arrived. He knew the man had looked familiar. Now he knew why. Shiro-san looked exactly like his sons.

“It's nothing serious, is it?” Shuichi asked in concern.

Shuichi dropped his hand from his husband's shoulder as the writer stood up.

“Nah!” Kei assured him. “It's just a cold. The old fart’s-”

As Shuichi stepped towards his cousins, he felt himself losing his balance. He gasped, his eyes widening in fright as the floor rushed up to meet him.

A flash of Rinjin Yasashii stalking towards him down the hallway of their old apartment building flashed through his mind. Then he was in that dark, silent room with two ghostly hands appearing out of the darkness floating towards him. He remembered racing out of that dark hell hole and seeing the lifeless bodies of his guards, Koji and Jacob. He remembered being knocked to the floor, trapped under Yasashii and feeling the hard bulge in Yasashii's pants pressing into him, that twisted face floating mere inches from his. He could still feel and taste Yasashii's tongue in his mouth as he kissed him. He could feel the man's nose shatter under his fists; see him flying through the air as he decked him. He could remember being wrapped around Yasashii's waist, heard the crack of the railing as it splintered under their combined weight echoed in his head. He saw the horrified look of disbelief and shock on Eiri's face; hear the rush of air and see the hard, cold floor as it rushed up to meet him, them reaching out for one another, their fingers hitting nothing but air.

He cried out in surprise. Silence shot through the parlor.

Eiri's heart stopped cold. The events of that day flashed through his head. “Shuichi!”

“Shuichi!” Kei gasped.

“Oh, Jeeze,” Kai cried softly, wide eyed.

Eiri jumped forward and caught his husband just before he hit the floor, fear and panic was coursing through him.

“Sorry,” Shuichi apologized against his husband's chest. “Thanks,” he told him as he struggled to get his feet underneath him.

“Come on,” Eiri commanded as he wrapped his arms supportively around his husband's waist. “Let's get you to a chair.”

“That's okay, Eiri. I'm fine,” Shuichi protested. He tried to wiggle out of Eiri's arms, but it was futile. The blond writer was stronger than him and right now he holding as tightly as a vise. “Eiri! I said I was fine.” Truthfully, he felt anything but fine. In act, he was shaken to the core.

Eiri ignored his husband and led him out of the parlor, the people parting like the Reed Sea, making a direct path out to the hallway. He heard them whispering and felt all eyes on them as they passed. He ignored all the questions hurtled after them. He set Shuichi down in the first chair he saw and knelt before him, massaging his husband's legs.

“What happened? Are you sure you're okay?” his mother asked him as she appeared besides him. Her voice was laced with concern. Her eyes looked him over with worry.

Shuichi smiled up at her and nodded. “Yes, Mom. I'm fine. I was just sitting for too long. I just need to get the circulation going in my legs and I'll be fine.”

“You mean your legs gave out?” she cried out in alarm.

A round of whispers shot through the group gathered around them.

Shuichi nodded. “Yeah,” he nodded sheepishly.

Shindou-san gasped.

“Don't worry. I'll be fine,” he assured them in a rush. “It's not like it hasn't happened before.” Too late, he realized he should not have said that.

“What?!”

Eiri threw his a deep scowl before standing up. Shuichi blushed. They had agreed not to mention this to Shuichi's parents. They did not want to worry them unnecessarily, not until they were sure they knew what it all meant. “He's right. You don't have to worry. It happens only when he's been sitting or kneeling for an extended period of time. He'll be fine in a little bit.”

Mrs. Shindou gapped at the two men before her. Hearing her son scream like that scared the hell out of her. How could they just sit there so calmly? Her son's legs had given out! Did they not know what this could mean? Her baby boy might become paralyzed again! He--he--he…

Mr. Shindou stepped forward and laid a hand on his wife's shoulder. “If you're sure.”

Eiri nodded. “I am.” Turning back towards his husband he said, “I think it's time we left.”

“What?” Shuichi turned towards his husband. “Already? But, Eiri-!”

Eiri glared at the man through narrowed eyes.

Shuichi gulped and lowered his head.

“Besides,” Eiri continued for the sake of the others, “the kids are probably driving Nakano and Fujisaki insane.”

Thinking about his boys made him realize just how much he missed them. “Yeah, you're right.”

Eiri held out a hand and helped Shuichi to his feet. Shuichi tapped his toes of first his left foot and then his right foot against the floor, glad the feeling had returned.

“Shuichi,” came a soft voice.

Shuichi looked up and watched as his grandmother stepped forward.

Grandmother Todono drew her grandson into a tight embrace. “Thank you for coming. It meant a lot to me…and your grandfather,” she whispered.

Tears pricked Shuichi's eyes. He hugged the old woman back. “Thank you, Grandma,” he whispered back, choking over a rising sob. He pulled away, sniffling and wiping the tears out of his eyes. “I'm sorry I sort of ruined things.”

Eiri rolled his eyes. “Idiot,” he muttered, bopping the younger man on the head.

“Ow!” Shuichi cried, covering his head. Tears filled his eyes. “Eiri!” he whined.

Grandmother Todono giggled and shook her head. “Don't worry. It's okay.” She gave her grandson another hug and then she embraced her grandson-in-law, pulling away before Eiri even knew what had happened. “Tell those great grandkids of mine, hello, okay?”

“I will, Grandma,” Shuichi smiled as he grabbed his husband hand, lacing their fingers together.

“And come down to visit me sometime alright? Or better yet, send me an invitation!”

Shuichi giggled.

“We'll be sure to do that, Grandmother,” Eiri assured her, inclining his head.

Grandmother Todono smiled brightly.

“Come on, Brat.”

“Goodbye Grandmother,” Shuichi bowed. “Mom, Dad. We'll see you at home later,” he told his parents. He then turned towards his cousins. “You're going to stop by and see the kids before you leave, right?”

“Of course,” Kei laughed.

“How about we stop by tomorrow?” Kai suggested.

“Cool! Is that okay, Eiri?” Shuichi turned pleading eyes towards his husband.

Eiri sighed. “I guess. Not like we have anything better to do.”

Shuichi squealed and hugged Eiri. “Thank you! I love you, Eiri!”

Eiri blushed and muttered, “Idiot” while the others either laughed or turned away in embarrassment.

Shuichi flung himself at his cousins. “I'll see you tomorrow.” Grabbing his lover's hand, they exited the funeral home, waving at his family over his shoulder.

 

* * *

 

**Nakano-Fujisaki Residence**

As they neared the apartment shared by Nakano Hiro and Fujisaki Suguru, a very familiar sound grew louder and louder.

“Ooooh,” Shuichi whined piteously. He felt his heart break at the sound of his little Kira's sobs. He turned watery eyes to his husband.

Eiri rolled his eyes, sighing and shook his head. “What a racket,” he said. “He definitely takes after you.”

“Hey!” Shuichi exclaimed, swatting Eiri's arm. “Jerk,” he giggled.

“So I've been told,” the blond haired writer said nonchalant walking up to the door.

Shuichi watched his husband walk away in amusement. Checking out his perfectly shaped tight ass in those black slacks that fit him to a “T” was just as added bonus. His eyes gleamed appreciatively.

Eiri raised a fist and knocked. He wondered if they would be able to hear them over Kira's screaming.

Seconds later the front door was thrown open to show a haggard looking Hiro with a howling, squirming Kira in his arms. “Thank God,” he breathed seeing the couple on the other side of the door.

“Oo! Kira,” Shuichi cooed sweeping forward and gathering his baby in his arms, who Hiro handed over happily.

Hiro shook out his aching arms. They felt like dead weights.

Shuichi cuddled Kira to him, gently rocking him and trying to quiet him down. “What's the matter? Huh? Yeah, I know,” he cooed as he stepped into the apartment. “It was horrible, huh? Yeah. Shh.”

Eiri rolled his eyes. Why in the world did the brat always talk like that? He sounded like a moron. Well, more of a moron than usual.

Hiro sighed heavily and shut the front door as Eiri stepped into the apartment. “How the hell do you do it?” he asked the writer over the deafening noise. “Every single day. Ugh! I think I'd go insane.”

Eiri turned around and watched the guitarist massaging his temple, his face twisted in pain. He smirked at his obvious distress. It looked like the mere two hours that the children had been over had obviously been a little too much for the guitarist. He looked drawn and very fatigued. Eiri chuckled and shook his head.

“I mean, ever since he woke up, it's all he's been doing. He doesn't need to be changed. He won't eat…! How do you put up with it? Kazahaya wasn't even that bad.”

“Easily. You're not Mommy,” Eiri said as he strode passed the small kitchen and into the living room after slipping out of his shoes. He watched Shuichi sway gently from side to side, cooing softly to Kira who was beginning to quiet down.

“Ah.” Hiro nodded, following Eiri. That sounded familiar. “The boys were watching TV and fell asleep,” he informed them as he sat down in an armchair. “They're in the bedroom.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder.

He wondered why it was so quiet. Eiri sat down on the couch and smirked. “How were they?” he asked. It was a stupid question. He knew exactly how the boys had behaved.

Hiro shot him an evil glare. “No offense, but you're children are evil little demons. You're lucky I don't have a shot gun.”

Eiri chuckled. He enjoyed that one thing about the funeral: no mini-brats.

Shuichi blinked. “They weren't that bad, were they?” he pouted.

Hiro leaned his back against the top of the chair and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose, groaning loudly. A pained expression crossed his face.

Shuichi chuckled nervously. “I'm sorry, Hiro. Kane can be a handful.”

Eiri snorted. That was an understatement.

Shuichi shot his husband a look. “Keitaro's usually so good, though…Unless Kane gets on his nerves, then they're at each others throats until someone gets hurt or something breaks.” His violet eyes widened. “They didn't break anything, did they? Neither of them got hurt?”

Hiro shook his head in denial. “Nah, Kane was just running around like a chicken with its head cut off, jumping on things and screaming and yelling. Keitaro just sat down in the chair trying to read and then he just--snapped and jumped him.”

Shuichi sighed heavily. “I'm so sorry, Hiro.”

“It's fine. I bribed them with some food and TV and they settled down.”

“Not bad,” Eiri praised, impressed.

“So they ate?” Shuichi asked glancing around. “Hey, Hiro? Where's Kira’s binki?”

“In the seat I think,” Hiro answered. “I had some left over cheese and crackers and fruit from Suguru’s parents anniversary party Suguru and I went to last night. They gobbled everything up.”

Eiri nodded. “Good. At least it wasn't crap like someone else gives them.” He shot his husband a meaningful look.

Shuichi just blinked at him innocently as he walked over to the baby seat sitting on the coffee table and found Kira's binki hidden among the blankets. “Here ya go,” he cooed as he gave it to his son. “Yeah.” He smiled down at Kira who was staring back at him, sucking hungrily at he rubber binki. Shuichi giggled, rocking him gently. As he walked over to the couch and sat down, sitting down next to Eiri, Kira rolled himself onto his side in Shuichi's arms so that he was facing Shuichi's chest.

“You do realize that it looks like you're breast feeding him,” Hiro told his friend lifting his head.

Eiri snorted, draping an arm on the back of the couch and crossed his legs. He glanced down at his son and smiled when he saw his cloudy brown eyes staring at him. “What?” he breathed. “What're you looking at, huh?” He raised his eyes to meet those gorgeous violet eyes that crinkled with laughter. “What?” he barked embarrassed.

Shuichi smiled widely, shaking his head. “Hey, Hiro?” he asked his friend, his voice laced with amusement.

“Hey, what?”

“Can you get me one of his bottles?”

“Sure.”

As Hiro stood up and went into the kitchen, Shuichi looked around. “Where's Fujisaki?”

“He had to go into the studio.” Hiro grabbed one of Kira's bottles out of the fridge. “The girls pulled an all-nighter and wanted to get his opinion on what they'd done so far,” he explained as he came back into the living and handed the bottle to Shuichi.

“Thanks.” Shuichi took the binki out of his son's mouth and as predicted, Kira's face scrunched up and started turning red as he protested the action unmercifully. Shuichi took the offered bottle and placed it against Kira's lips. The cries stopped immediately as Kira latched onto the bottle and sucked hungrily.

“He's so spoiled.”

Shuichi turned a smiling face towards his husband. “Of course, he is. He's a baby.”

“Oh, Shu. Before I forget.”

“What?” Shuichi asked, turning towards Hiro.

“Suguru wanted me to tell you that the girls said to pass along their thanks for the song. They absolutely love it.”

Shuichi beamed. “Really? Cool!”

“They actually finished recording it the other day and wanted to see if you could come down and take a listen.”

Shuichi shrugged. “I don't see why not.” He glanced quickly at Eiri. “They really liked it?” he asked, turning back towards Hiro.

“Loved it.”

“What do you think, Eiri?”

“I guess. Seguchi wanted to see the boys anyway. You can go while I take them to visit him and Mika.”

Shuichi nodded. “Alright. We can head over as soon as I finish feeding Kira.”

Hiro shrugged. “Sure, but I gotta warn you Shu.”

“What?”

“They've been conspiring to get you to sing on one of their songs.”

Shuichi giggled, blushing. He glanced down at Kira who was watching him intently. “What do you think, huh?” he asked his son. “Do you think you're otokasan still has it?”

“The girls” were an all girl group called “Desert Star” that was recently signed with NG Productions. Fujisaki was their producer for their debut album. When the girls learned who was going to be their producer, they asked him if he would guest star on the album. At first, he declined. After Bad Luck disbanded, Fujisaki remained in the music business as a studio musician, producer and musical arranger. Other than performing every once in a while during tour, he had not played for quiet some time. After discussing the offer with Hiro one night, who worked as a studio musician at NG Pro as well, Fujisaki decided to do it, but only on one condition: Hiro had to do it as well. Hiro was not sure if he was ready to step into the limelight again. He had to think about Kazahaya--his son--and what it would mean for him. It was why Hiro had protested the Bad Luck biography. But in the end, both agreed. Now the girls were trying to get them to get Shuichi on board and have a sort of Bad Luck reunion.

Shuichi himself had not been able to stay away from the music business completely either. He had been asked by Tohma to write several songs over the years for various groups and singers under contract with NG Productions, Desert Star being one of them. When Eiri and he moved from Tokyo to Nara, Eiri had a fully functional studio built in the backyard for Shuichi, but to actually sing-sing as in a comeback? Shuichi had to admit he did miss the stage, the lights, the roar of the crowd, the excitement…!

Shuichi turned and looked at his husband, silently pleading for him for help.

Eiri reached out and caressed the side of Shuichi's face. “It's up to you, Shu. What do you want to do?”

Shuichi bit his lip and turned to stare out of the window over the city. That was a good question. What did he want? Was it time for Shindou Shuichi to make a come back?

 

**…To Be Continued…**


	4. Introductions

**Chapter 4: Introductions**

**Early Evening - NG Productions**

“I'm sorry about the girls, Shindou-san,” Fujisaki sighed as they walked through the lobby.

“Nay! Don't worry about it, Fujisaki. They were just excited.”

“Well, yeah, I guess so, but still. I think they got kinda carried away.”

Shuichi shrugged it off. “It's fine.” He giggled, grinning brightly. “It was kinda fun actually!”

Fujisaki gapped at his friend. “Fun?” He sighed, shaking his head in amazement. “Only you would think getting mauled by a bunch of girls was ‘fun’.”

Shuichi laughed loudly. “It was like old times.” He patted the smaller man on the back, still grinning. “Don't worry about it, Fujisaki. Really, they were harmless. Any of us would have done the same thing in their shoes.”

With a raised eyebrow, Fujisaki glanced at the man out of the corner of his eye. “Yeah, right,” Fujisaki said. “You maybe. I, on the other hand, would have more self-control-”

A loud bark cut off the keyboardist, causing both men to jump. Shuichi and Fujisaki looked around and saw Hiro walking towards them, chuckling.

“And _what_ , pray tell, is so funny?” Fujisaki demanded of his lover, crossing his arms.

Chuckling, Hiro laid a hand over the smaller man's shoulder, shaking his head. “Are you telling me that if you had the chance to meet Dorothy Donegan, Jelly Roll Morton-”

Blushing, Fujisaki shook off Hiro's hand and stalked away with a ‘humph’. “Of course not,” he said over his shoulder.

Shuichi just glanced from one man to the other, confused.

“Uh, huh,” Hiro chuckled, following him.

“I'm no stupid fan-boy, Hiro,” Fujisaki continued, unconvincingly.

“Suuure, Fujisaki.”

“I know how to control myself.” Fujisaki flopped down into an armchair in the sitting area of the lobby of NG, his arms still crossed over his chest and a determined look on his face.

Hiro sat down in another chair, grinning madly at his lover.

Shuichi scratched his head in confusion as he walked over to the others and sat down on the couch. “Who's this Jelly Roll and Dorothy whatever?” he questioned.

“No one you'd know,” Fujisaki said dismissively.

Shuichi glanced from a chuckling Hiro to a furiously blushing Fujisaki, still confused.

“Anyway,” Fujisaki said, changing the subject. He threw one last look at his boyfriend before turning towards Shuichi. “Have you given it any thought? Appearing on the girls' album I mean,” he clarified at Shuichi's blank look.

“Oh! Uhm…” Shuichi sighed heavily and sat back on the almost too comfortable sofa. He stared out the all glass front lobby, staring out at the sun as it slipped behind the buildings, the day rapidly fading. “I really don't know,” he said truthfully in a soft voice. He bit his lip. “I mean…,” he sighed, his voice fading. He cupped his chin in his palm.

Hiro slid forward, sitting on the edge of his seat and clasped his hands between his knees. He stared intently at his friend. “You don't have to do it, Shuichi,” he reminded him.

“Hmm. I know,” Shuichi mumbled. Dropping his hand, he stared at his linked hands in his lap. “It's not that I don't want to do it,” he told them. “ Because I do!” His face brightened and a flash of the old Shuichi zipped across his face. “I really would love to sing again!” His face fell. “It's just that…” He sighed. “I don't know.”

“It's alright if you're scared,” Hiro told his friend softly.

Fujisaki stared from his lover to Shuichi, wide eyed. “'Scared'?” That was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard of in his entire life.

Hiro swatted Fujisaki.

“Ow!” the younger man cried, rubbing his sore arm. “Hiro! What-?”

Hiro gave him a look, shaking his head. “No one could blame you if you were, Shuichi. It's been how long? Seven years?”

Shuichi shook his head. “It's not that,” he denied. At least, not entirely, he thought, though he had to admit as much as singing and being up on stage excited him, it also frightened him, thinking about all those eyes on him. What if nobody cared about him anymore as a singer? What if they thought he was just old and all used up? He hated rejection just as much, or if not more so, then being ignored.

“Then what's wrong?”

Shuichi turned to stare outside. “I'm not the same as I was six, seven years ago. A lot has happened. I'm married, have children and…”

“The accident.”

“Yeah.” Shuichi nodded. “As much as I would love to get back into the studio…I don't think I could do that again. Besides, I wouldn't be able to--I mean, I can't just up and move Eiri and the boys back to Tokyo. Keitaro and Kane are in kindergarten. And then there's Kira… I can't…I don't want to move to Tokyo and leave them all in Nara.” He shook his head. “There's a lot to consider.”

“Shindou-san-!” Fujisaki exclaimed.

“You have that studio at your house, right?” Hiro asked.

Shuichi turned towards his friend and nodded a confused expression on his face. “Yeah,” he drawled.

Hiro exchanged a look with Fujisaki. “Well, you could always work out of there. I mean, you would have to come into Tokyo occasionally, or you could work around Yuki-san and the boy's schedule, ya know? Bring them with you? Get a tutor?”

Shuichi stared at Hiro, deep in thought.

Fujisaki nodded. “I'm sure Tohma would be more than willing to agree to any demands you have, Shindou-san.”

Shuichi leaned back in the sofa. He was sure that Seguchi would as well, but still…it was not an easy decision. “I don't know.”

“That's fine, Shu. You don't have to decide right away.”

That was a relief because if he would have had to, he would have turned the offer down flat. As it was, he would have to sit down with Eiri and discuss the whole thing.

“Oh! By the way, Shu.”

“Huh?”

“What song did you write for the girls?”

“Oh! It was a song I wrote with Eiri.”

That surprised Hiro. “You co-wrote a song with Yuki-san?”

Shuichi grinned, his whole face beaming. He bounced happily. Sliding to the edge of the sofa, he grabbed the lip of the cushions and nodded. “Yep! Actually, Seguchi wanted each of us to write a song for them, but…When I was done with mine, I let Eiri read it and surprisingly, for some reason, our songs were similar, so we decided to combine them.”

Fujisaki nodded. “I was surprised when I heard it for the first time.”

“You heard it, Sug?” Hiro asked him.

“Yeah, it's very depressing and gloomy.”

“Depressing?” Hiro turned towards Shuichi. “That doesn't sound like you, Shu.”

Shuichi shrugged. “That's just what came out,” he admitted, trying for nonchalance. Actually, he wrote the song about the same time he started working on his bibliography.

Just thinking about his memoir sitting at home waiting patiently for his return, caused him to shudder. Maybe it had been a bad idea to agree to write it. He really did not want anything more to do with that evil thing. It brought back too many memories, most good, but also some bad ones he would do anything to forget.

A fine trembling shook his body as he remembered what he was in the middle of writing about. He clasped his hands tightly in his lap, his knuckles turning white. His thoughts naturally linked the book he was writing to the late night phone call from his mother informing him of the passing of his grandfather. His throat constricted over a sudden sob. Tears stung his eyes.

Was it fair to miss someone who you have had nothing to do with for twenty years?

Hiro and Fujisaki exchanged a knowing look.

“What's it called?” Hiro asked his friend, snapping the other man out of his thoughts.

Shuichi blinked, confused, as he tried to switch gears. “'Lastly'.”

“What's it about?”

“Well.” Shuichi scratched his head, grateful to Hiro for distracting him away from those black thoughts. “It's, um, well, it's about this couple who falls in love, but nobody believes the two of them should be together. They'll do whatever it takes to separate them.”

Hiro glanced at his lover and saw that he was thinking the same thing he was. The storyline sounded vaguely familiar.

“Then there's an accident. His partner rushes to the hospital, but it's too late. Upset and depressed over the death of his partner, he ends up killing himself.”

Hiro blinked, shocked. “Jeeze, Shuichi.”

Shuichi nodded. He stared at his hands clasped between his knees, his chest tight.

“I don't know if I should ask you this, but could you sing some of it?”

“Sure,” Shuichi whispered. His voice cracked. Clearing his throat, he sat up straight. Closing his eyes, he cleared his throat and hummed a few bars. When he got the melody in his head, he belted out the entire song. His melodious voice filled the lobby, sounding almost angelic, ethereal as it bounced off the surface, echoing back at them.

The song was everything Fujisaki said it was. It was a tale of star struck lovers who wanted to be together and defied everyone and everything in order to do so. The only things on their side were Fate, Destiny and Gravity. It was also very deceiving. There were moments where it seemed as if everything would finally be all right. There were promises of better times ahead, but then everything came crashing to a grinding halt.

The last note faded. Shuichi opened his eyes, tears flowing down his face. He wiped at them with the heel of his hand and sniffed. He lifted his head and was shocked to see them crying as well.

“Wow,” Hiro breathed, shocked. “That was great Shuichi, kinda depressing, but great.”

“Yeah,” Fujisaki agreed. “It's different with the music. It doesn't sound as heartbreaking and you clearly hear the more uplifting moments. It might be the acoustic sound of the lobby that amplifies the emotion behind the song, but there's this lilt at the end that makes you think that it all works out.”

“Yeah, there is,” Shuichi agreed, his voice soft. “They're finally together.” He jumped when he heard the sudden sound sweet tinkling. He breathed deeply, trying to calm his racing heart. “Hello?” A grin spread across his face, chasing away the last of the shadows.

_“Baka.”_

“I take it, that's from Yuki-san?” Hiro guessed, whispering.

Shuichi nodded. “You done?” he asked.

_“Yeah, we're outside.”_

Shuichi strained his neck to glance around Hiro and saw his husband's jeep waiting out front. “Okay. I'll be out in a sec,” he said standing up from the couch.

_“I was going to text you, but then Keitaro said you forgot your glasses at your parent's house.”_

Shuichi felt his face grow warm as he flushed in embarrassment. “Well, it's not my fault!” he protested in his defense. “I'm not used to wearing them.”

_“Whatever. Just get out here. The boys are starving.”_

_“I wanna go to McDonalds,”_ Shuichi heard Kane shout.

_“I hate McDonalds,”_ Keitaro said.

Shuichi giggled. “Okay, I'll be out in a sec.”

_“Fine.”_

Snapping his phone shut, Shuichi hooked it back onto his belt.

“What aren't you used to wearing, Shu?” Hiro asked.

“Huh? Oh, my glasses.”

Hiro and Fujisaki blinked.

“I didn't know you wore glasses,” Fujisaki said.

“When did you start wearing them?” Hiro asked.

Shuichi shrugged. “Just recently. I need them to read, but I forget all about them and when I try to read something, the boys laugh at me because I have to hold it away from my face in order to see what it says.”

An angry honk shattered the still afternoon.

Shuichi glanced outside and saw Eiri gesture widely at him, a frustrated expression on his face. “Oh!” he cried, his eyes wide. “I gotta go! The boys're hungry. I'll see ya later.” He waved and ran out of the building.

Hiro and Fujisaki watched the singer jog towards the waiting black truck. Shuichi opened the door, swung inside and closed the door behind him. He leaned over and kissed his husband. Then the truck signaled and pulled into traffic with a loud squeal.

“I hope he decides to do it,” Fujisaki said, breaking the silence.

Hiro nodded. “Me, too, but I understand his reluctance.”

 

* * *

 

**En Route**

The second day of the Wake was much like the first, but this time there was more formality, flowers, and time spent greeting relatives and friends. Eiri met Shuichi's aunts and uncles, great aunts and uncles, cousins, second cousins, third cousins and their families, coworkers and neighbors of his grandparents. There were relatives of relatives, relatives of relatives of relatives, friends and friends of friends. It seemed like the whole city had come for the second day of mourning. He was grateful when Shuichi and he were finally able to get away.

Eiri slowed to a stop before a red light, yawning.

Shuichi cuddled deeper into the passenger seat and reaching over, placed a hand on his husband's thigh, giving it a little squeeze. “Tired?”

“Hm.”

“Me, too.” He proved it by yawning loudly. “It's been a long day.”

The light turned green and Eiri hurled forward.

Shuichi removed his hand. He did not want to distract Eiri while he was driving. He stared out the window at the scenery that zoomed past in a blur of color.

He still had no idea what he was going to do. Eiri and he talked about it last night after the boys were put to bed, but the only thing Eiri would say was, “I'll support you, whatever you do.” That did not help him much. It was a nice sentiment and he was glad that he had the support of his husband, but it did not help his decision.

“I could take it slowly. Ya know? One step at a time?”

Eiri glanced at Shuichi out of the corner of his eye. “What're you muttering about?”

“Huh?” Shuichi blinked, confused, and then realized he must have spoken that last out loud. “Oh, nothing. I was talking to myself. Thinking out loud.”

“Uh, huh.”

“Oh! Don't forget that Kei and Kai are coming over later.”

Eiri nodded. “Ya, I remember,” he sighed.

“Oh and before I forget. We have to get to the funeral parlor a little earlier tomorrow. The _Kokubetsu Shiki_ is at nine.” (1)

“Nine? Why so early? Don't they usually begin a little later than that?”

Shuichi shrugged. “I don't know.”

Eiri sighed heavily. Great. That meant that they had to get up extra early just so they could wake, dress and fed the boys and get them to Nakano's. Great. Just great. God, he hated funerals. “What about the _Nobe no Okuri_? Are they going to do it?” (2)

“As far as I know. I don't see why they wouldn't display Grandpa's body one last time.”

“Did you ask what our contribution should be?”

“No. I'll ask Mom when we get home. Probably 10,000, but I really don't know. I mean he did disown me.”

Eiri nodded. “True, but you never know.” He glanced at Shuichi out of the corner of his eye. “He did try contacting you the other week, didn't he?”

Shuichi bit his lip.

“And you are one of the oldest grandchildren, right?”

“Yeah,” Shuichi said over a yawn.

“So, that means, it should be 30,000.”

Shuichi shrugged as he stared distantly out the window. “Yeah, but that was before he disowned me, but I'll just have to ask Mom.”

Eiri pulled into the parking lot of Nakano and Fujisaki's apartment. He pulled into the closest spot he could find to the main entrance and shut off the engine. They sat in the rapidly heating car, listening to the car click. Silence lay heavy around them.

Eiri reached out and clasped Shuichi's hands, lacing their fingers together. His husbands hand was cold, clammy and trembling. He ran his thumb along Shuichi's knuckles. Giving his hand a squeeze, he lifted the smaller hand and kissed it. It was just a light brush of lips.

Shuichi turned his head to glance at Eiri, smiling.

Eiri leaned forward and brushed their lips together. Pulling away, he whispered, “We can always let Nakano and Fujisaki watch the boys for a little while longer,” he suggested huskily.

Shuichi took a shuddered breath. His eyes gleamed with interest.

Smirking, Eiri kissed a trail along Shuichi's jaw and down his neck.

“We- Ah! We can't,” Shuichi moaned as his husband nibbled on the side of his neck. “Kei and- Ah!” He covered Eiri's hand that was cupping him. “Mm, Eiri,” he gasped when his husband squeezed him through his pants.

Eiri captured his lips and devoured him. He kissed him like he would jump down his throat. He slipped a hand up Shuichi's shirt and massaged his nipple to life, pinching and tweaking the awakening bud.

“Ngh! Ah!” Shuichi could not think, not with Eiri touching him and kissing him. Damn Eiri. And he thought he knew how to get his way. Grabbing Eiri's shoulders, Shuichi pushed him away forcibly and reached for his cell phone, panting heavily.

“Shu?” Eiri questioned him, his chest heaving. His pants were uncomfortably tight.

Raising a finger, Shuichi dialed his friends number from memory and listened to it ring.

“Hello?” shouted a voice over what sounded like chaos.

Shuichi held the phone away from his ear, wincing at the cacophony of noise that blasted over the line. He could hear the television all too clearly. It sounded like they were watching a baseball game. Fujisaki was screaming above the loud wails that could only be Kira at Kane who, it sounded like, was laughing his signature high pitched squeals. Then he heard Keitaro snap something that he had been warned several times never to say before a door was slammed somewhere in the background.

He exchanged a look with Eiri, who was chuckling, a mischievous gleam in his eye. Shuichi swatted him, which only caused Eiri to laugh harder at poor Nakano and Fujisaki's troubles.

“Hey, Hiro!” Shuichi shouted back. “I would ask how it's going but I can hear!”

Hiro groaned over the line.

Shuichi heard the sound of movement and the noise dimmed.

“Shu, how the hell do you do it?”

Shuichi shrugged. “They're not that bad at home.” He heard Hiro and Eiri snort at the same time. Shuichi threw his husband another glare.

“Lucky you.”

“Keitaro's usually stuck in the office with Eiri reading and writing. Kane's usually outside or at a friend's house and Kira…well, he just doesn't like anyone but Eiri and me.”

“Great,” Hiro snorted. “So, you done?”

Shuichi winched. It sounded like he was pleading. Besides him, Eiri chuckled. Shuichi glared at him yet again.

Eiri looked at him innocently.

“Actually, not yet. Maybe an hour or two?”

Hiro sighed heavily.

“Just order pizza or take them out for ice cream and they should be fine.”

“Alright, Shu. Just-”

There was a muffled but unmistakable sound of something shattering.

Hiro cursed, and then sighed. “I gotta go, Shu. Just--hurry!”

Before Shuichi could say anything, he was listening to silence. Holding the phone away, he stared at it blankly before, with a giggle, snapped his phone shut and replaced it on the middle console. “I feel kinda bad for him.”

Eiri snorted. “That makes one of us. Now,” he smirked, sliding a hand on his husband's thigh.

Shuichi turned to look at Eiri as his fingers tickled his cock through the thin black cotton pants. He sucked in his breath and shuddered.

“Where were we?” Eiri breathed, leaning forward until their breathed mingled.

 

* * *

 

**The Night - Shindou Residence**  
   
The only sounds permeating the Shindou household were the ticking of the clock that sounded unnaturally loud in the silence of the house and the occasional cacophony of burbles from his left. Sitting back, his legs folded under him, Shuichi leaned his elbow on the arm of the couch and gazed at the small, dark bundle cradled in Eiri's arms, sucking ravenously on a bottle. “So noisy,” he exclaimed.

Eiri snorted and looked pointedly at the smaller man out of the corner of his eye. “I wonder who he takes after.”

Shuichi stuck out his tongue at the man.

“Very mature,” Eiri said.

“Thank you,” Shuichi smiled.

Eiri sighed heavily.

Shuichi giggled, grinning widely. “Jeeze! Look at him go! He acts as if he hasn't eaten all day!” Half the bottle was gone already.

“Yeah. Poor baby is starving to death. Look at how he's wasting away,” Eiri replied blandly.

Shuichi laughed. At three months, Uesugi-Shindou Saburo Kira weighed sixteen pounds, about five pounds heavier than his brothers and both of his parents when they were his age. It might have a lot to do with the fact that Kira was just a little piggy. He always seemed to be either eating or sleeping.

Little Kira had been wearing his cap earlier, but he was not wearing it anymore because Kane had spilled soy sauce on it at dinner. Apparently, though, according to Kane, he did not do it. Yeah, just like the broken vase, the marker on the wall, the muddy footprints in the hall, the water on the kitchen floor, the towel soaking in the bathtub and Keitaro's favorite book at the bottom of the pool. Nope. None of it was Kane's fault.

Kira's head full of jet-black hair was sticking up down the middle of his head like a Mohawk. Shuichi thought it would be cool if they dyed the tips of his hair an electric blue, but Eiri had been vehemently against it, to say the least. Kane and Keitaro on the other hand had both had combovers when they were babies. Shuichi had feared they would grow up to look like Donald Trump. God forbid.

The three month old was swaddled tightly in a white blanket, cradled in the crook of Eiri's arm. There was a pillow under Eiri's arm supporting both Kira and him as he fed their son. Kira looked dwarfed in his daddy's arms.

Shuichi gazed at his husband, a dreamy expression on his face as he watched Eiri watching Kira. A gentle smile was titling the writer's lips, softening his normally harsh, angular facial features. Shuichi felt warmth spread through him as he studied the love of his life. “I love you, Eiri.”  
    
Eiri turned and gave Shuichi a sweet smile that was reserved only for him. “I know.”

Translation, “I love you, too.”

A sudden sigh from besides Shuichi broke the spell. They both gazed down at Keitaro and Kane who were sleeping peacefully and looking again like angels on the opposite end of the couch. Their grandmother had draped a thin blanket over them earlier. The boys were sleeping amicably, curled up together. Shuichi smiled warmly at the sight.

“The only time.”

“What is?” Shuichi asked, tearing his eyes away from the boys.

Eiri tipped his chin towards the twins. “The only time they get along is when they're sleeping.”

Shuichi gazed back down at Keitaro and Kane with a giggle. Eiri was right.

He took in their fair complexions, dark blond hair and light brown eyes and turned to take in Kira's appearance. With his olive complexion and black hair, he looked nothing like his older brothers. If it were not for the similar facial features, it would be hard, if not impossible, to tell that they were related. It was not unlike Eiri and Tatsuha.

“You know,” Shuichi said, breaking the silence.

“Hmmm.”

“I don't have a brother.”

“Uh huh.”

“The closest thing I have to one is Hiro.”

Eiri snorted in disbelief.

Shuichi ignored him.

“And your point is…?”

The singer looked at Eiri. “I don't know what it's like to have one. Is this normal?”

Eiri looked at his husband with a raised eyebrow. “Is what normal?”

“Them,” Shuichi said, indicating the boys.

Eiri sighed. “I've told you, Shu-chan. They're boys. They fight.”

“Well, yeah, but…”

“But what?” Eiri asked in slight exasperated. He loved his husband, he really did, but having to reiterate himself over and over again did get old very fast.

With a heavy sigh, he pulled the now empty bottle out of Kira's mouth and handed it to Shuichi, who took it and set it on the coffee table. Eiri sat Kira on his leg and grabbed the dishtowel off his knee to wipe his son's milk dribbled chin. He swore Kira got more on him then in him. Setting the dishtowel down on the arm of the chair, he cradled Kira's head by cupping his chin with his already soaked bib and starting patting the three month old’s back with his free hand.

Though, he did understand Shuichi's concern. While all siblings fight, Keitaro and Kane seemed to fight more than normal children did. That may have a lot to do with the fact that they are complete opposites and tend to butt heads on just about everything. Keitaro and Kane have a little of both their parents in their personalities, but Keitaro is more like him and Kane is more like Shuichi. If Shuichi and his relationship were any indication, the boys would have one hell of a relationship.

“Shu, don't worry about it.”  
    
“Really?” Shuichi bit his lip, not entirely convinced. “I mean, Hiro and I only had one real fight.”

Eiri remembered that fight all too well. The brat looked like he had been gangbanged. He shook away memories that surged to the surface.

“We never really argue,” Shuichi was saying as he gazed down at the boys. “And compared to that, it's like World War III every time they're in the same room.”

“That's because Hiro always lets you have your way,” Eiri shot back. It was just too tiring to argue with the brat otherwise.

Shuichi frowned, opening his mouth to argue.

“Besides,” Eiri continued with a sly smirk on his face, “usually to be a boy, you have to be male.” He paused. “You qualify as--neither.”

Shuichi threw his husband an angry glare, growling.

Eiri smiled evilly.

Shuichi grabbed the throw pillow from behind his back and whipped it at Eiri's head, being careful of his infant son. “Jerk,” he pouted.

Eiri chuckled, knocking the pillow aside.

Sometimes, Shuichi just did not understand Eiri. He glanced down at Kane and Keitaro, still smiling, and noticed that Keitaro had kicked the blanket aside. Reaching out, he tucked it back around them.

Sitting back, he let his eyes roam over the living room and they landed on his bag by the front door. He was not sure how it got there but figured Kane had been playing with it earlier. Unfolding his legs, he swung them off the couch and winced as he felt how stiff and numb they had become. Stretching them out, Shuichi planted his feet on the floor and slid to the edge of the sofa. Pushing himself off, he gasped in surprise as his leg buckled underneath him.  
    
Eiri looked at him sharply.

Shuichi caught himself on the coffee table. His heart beat wickedly in his chest. Breathing heavily, he tried to get hold of himself. Sighing, he closed his eyes and said a silent prayer. Tapping his toes against the floor, he again stretched out his leg. Taking a deep breath, he straightened and rounded the coffee table towards the front door and his bag, shaking ever so slightly.

A belch erupted suddenly from behind him, shattering the silence that had enveloped the house. Shuichi stumbled to a stop and glanced over his shoulder at his husband and son, blinking in shock. “Was that Kira?” he asked in disbelief.

“Sure as hell wasn't me,” Eiri said, his lips twitching.

Shuichi stared at Eiri with a cocked eyebrow, the corner of his mouth tilted in amusement. He snorted, shaking his head. He turned back around and crouched down besides his bag. “Oh, please! Don't even try to act all innocent! You pulled this yesterday, remember? When I had to change Kira and you claimed you never stink up the bathroom?” he reminded the writer as he reached inside his bag.

“I don't.”

“Ha!”

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“Eiri,” Shuichi scolded with a sigh, halting his search, “you make more bodily noises than the boys and I combined!”

“I have no idea what you're talking about,” Eiri said, turning his head away from his husbands penetrating stare. He cursed himself when he felt his face grow warm. Sometimes he did not like that Shuichi knew him so well.

“Sure. Just keep right on believing that,” Shuichi said as he continued his search through the bottomless pit that was his bag. “Maybe one day, it’ll even come true.”

Eiri snorted. “Hate to tell you, but it’s true about most things that come out of your mouth.”

Shuichi threw a mock glare over his shoulder. “Ha. Ha,” he said dryly. “Just remember that the next you take a shit or fart.”

When his hand hit a small rectangular box, Shuichi went unnaturally still as his heart preformed a wicked summersault. Surreptitiously, he glanced over his shoulder at his husband. Eiri made no indication that he noticed anything a miss. Shuichi’s heart was pounding so loud he was surprised that Eiri could not hear it. Trembling, he continued his excavation through the bowels of his bag. He felt guilty about hiding his suspicions from Eiri, but he did not want to say anything until he was sure. Besides, he was not entirely sure what Eiri’s opinion on the matter was. For that matter, Shuichi was unclear what his view on the subject was.  
    
“Found it!” Shuichi cried suddenly, when his hand hit a spiral spine underneath the box.

“Found what?”

“My notebook.”

“Your what?”

“You know my notebook?” Shuichi said in a “duh” tone. “The one I use to jot down lyrics? It was at the bottom of my bag.”

“Uh huh.”

Pulling out a black sketchers pad, Shuichi stood up and dropped his bag to the floor. Turning around, he caught sight of Kira in his daddy's arms. A smile crossed his face. He met Eiri's piercing gaze. His smile widened. They were so cute! He giggled.

Eiri glared at Shuichi through squinted eyes. He knew exactly what the brat was thinking and was not sure how he felt about being thought of as cute, but as he thought that, he felt another blush warm his cheeks. He cursed himself when it came to Shuichi.

Shuichi giggled again. He absolutely loved the reactions he could get out of Eiri. It was priceless. “Ya know,” he said as he made his way back to the couch. “I talked to Mabel today.”

Eiri's mind blanked. “Who?”

“You know, she's married to my cousin Koji? He went to England for school and met her in his drawing class.”

Oh, that Mabel. They maybe saw her once a year, if that, and that was once too much. She was the most annoying creature on the face of the planet. She was clingy, way too happy and peppy and would not stop talking! He was glad he had been able to avoid her at the funeral.

Eiri glanced down at Kira and noticed the three month old had fallen asleep. Deciding he was done for the night, Eiri picked his son up and laid him against his shoulder. Standing up, he walked to the carrier as Shuichi rambled on about how his cousin had been unsure if he wanted to go to England in the first place because he had just proposed to his high school sweetheart, but then he caught her cheating on him with his best friend and the next day he accepted the full scholarship he had been offered to the university.

Eiri sighed. How Shuichi could carry on one sided, long-winded conversations like that was beyond him.

“Anyway,” Shuichi was saying, “…what was I talking about?”

Eiri sighed heavily, shaking his head as he straightened. Idiot, he thought.

“Oh yeah! You know Mabel is eight months pregnant, right?”

Now that was scary. He was not sure if the world was ready for another Mabel.

What he really wanted to know was what Cousin Koji had seen in Mabel and how he put up with her, but then again everybody asked the same thing about Shuichi and him. Hell, he asked himself that same question.

He glanced at Kira asleep in the carrier, at Keitaro and Kane on the couch and finally at his husband who was still rambling on at a million miles an hour and he knew. It was not something he could put into words, or even fathom at a conscious level, but as annoying as Shuichi could be, he could not picture his life without him. Shuichi completed him.

Eiri blinked, startled at his own thoughts. Where did that come from? As clichéd as it was, it was the god’s honest truth. Without Shuichi, he would revert to what he had been before the brat came barging into his life and that was not something he wanted. It used to be a dull and pointless existence.  
    
Shuichi's laughter snapped him out of his retrieve. “She said she would much rather be pregnant then do that!”

“Do what?” He had missed something, not that that was anything new.

Shuichi's laughter vanished with a disgusted sigh. He clucked his tongue in disappointment. “You weren't listening!” he accused.

Eiri crossed his arms over his chest and gave him a look.  
    
“I was saying that Mabel asked me how I was able to lose all the weight I gained during my pregnancies.”

“Oh,” Eiri snorted, dropping his arms.

Shuichi stood up, setting his notebook on the table and crossed the room towards his husband. Curling his arms around Eiri's neck, he rose up on his tiptoes and pressed his body against the warmth of his husband in perfect alignment. He laid his cheek against Eiri's chest and heard the muffled “thump-thump” of his lover's heart. Warmth spread through him and a smile crossed his face. He sighed happily and closed his eyes.

Eiri chuckled and wrapped his arms around his brat loosely, but possessively. “You tell her you lost all the weight by having hot, steamy, passionate sex with your drop dead gorgeous husband?” he teased.

“Eiri!” Shuichi cried, his face blazing. He pulled away from the men enough to slap his chest lightly.

Eiri chuckled.

Shuichi glanced over his shoulder at the boys.

“Don't worry,” Eiri assured his lover, pulling him back against him. The front of his body had gone cold. “They're asleep.”

“You're such a jerk.”

“I know.”

Shuichi sighed in contentment and hugged his husband. “I told her that with the twins, the weight kinda…melted off. I didn't do much of anything except go to the gym for my regular sessions. Then with Kira, it was a little harder to lose the weight.” He lifted his head and glared his Eiri angrily. “I still haven't forgiven you for that.”

Eiri snorted. “It worked, didn't it?”

“Yeah, well,” Shuichi admitted slowly, picking at some imaginary lint on Eiri's shirt. “But still! I mean a high protein diet along with a rigorous two hour full body workout session with that, that boot camp dude a day?” Shuichi shuddered. “I am never eating eggs again for as long as a live!”

Eiri chuckled, grinning.

“I mean, I told her what I ate. Ya know, chicken, turkey, lean meats and beef, fish and egg whites…and then I had to do all sorts of chest, bicep, tricep, leg, shoulder, back and especially abdominal exercises that nearly killed me and she said she's rather stay pregnant and I said I'd rather eat eggs and pasta everyday for the rest of my life and be bossed around by that drill instructor wannabe who always looked ready to pop a vein then go through go another pregnancy.” His train of thought stopped dead as he realized what it was that just came out of his mouth. Never say never, he thought as he mentally berated himself.

Eiri tensed at Shuichi’s words. “I think it's a little too early to be making decisions like that Shu-chan. You said the same thing after Keitaro and Kane were born, remember?”

Eiri’s words shook him out of his musings. Shuichi dropped his brows in confusion. What was he saying? His heart began pounding hard in anticipation. He stepped out of Eiri's arms far enough so he could stare into Eiri’s golden hazel eyes as he tried to decipher the meaning behind those cryptic words. The uncertainty soon melted away. Only to be replaced by a soft wonder and amazement. “You want another baby,” he whispered in surprise.

Blushing, Eiri broke their gaze. “I have no idea what you're talking about,” he muttered in embarrassment.

Giggling, Shuichi clasped his arms around Eiri's neck and rose up on his toes, pressed their lips together. He pulled away still grinning. With a giggle, he walked back to the couch with a little skip in his step, grabbing his notebook on the way. He hugged it to his chest as he sat down. “You do!” he pressed lightly. “You want another baby!” Shuichi's laughter faded and a serious expression came over his face. He felt so relieved and a little apprehensive at the same time.

Eiri grumbled and crossed his arms over his chest. He stared out the living room window feeling his face grow warm. He _really_ did not like that Shuichi could do this to him so easily.

“Do you, Eiri? What another baby?” Shuichi asked in all seriousness as he stared down at his lap. He lifted his head and studied his husband's profile.

Eiri fidgeted, his eye twitching. God, he needed a cigarette.

“Eiri?”

Sighing, Eiri turned to face his husband, staring deeply into those exotic purple eyes. “Maybe,” he found himself admitting as he melted under those intense, hypnotic eyes.

A gentle smile fluttered across Shuichi's lips and a twitch quivered in his belly.

“I wouldn't mind a--daughter.” Eiri looked away; his face blushed crimson as this admission.

Shuichi's eyes widened in shock and surprise. “A d-daughter?” he cried out in astonishment, forgetting the state of agitation in his stomach. Knowing that his husband wanted another child made him even guiltier for keeping quiet, but that was why he had to remain passive about this. He did not want to get Eiri’s hopes up.

Eiri shrugged, trying for nonchalant, but Shuichi knew. He could see it in his eyes, in the determined set of his jaw, the way he held his shoulders and even in his stance. It was _not_ no big deal. Eiri really wanted a little girl. Shuichi could not stop the smile that spread across his face. The smile slipped off as he sighed and sat back. Shuichi really did not think he was ready to have another baby. “But,” Shuichi continued aloud.

Eiri snapped his eyes towards his husband, waiting with batted breathe.

“I don't think it's an _im_ possibility.” He thought about the box silently waiting in his bag. It’s _definitely_ not an impossibility, he thought.

A smile lit Eiri's face.

Shuichi lifted his eyes and met his husband's gaze.

Eiri swallowed the space between them and sat himself down on the arm of the couch. He tapped Shuichi's head up with a finger under his chin. He lowered his head until his lips were a hairs breath away from Shuichi's. “Thank you, Shu-chan,” he breathed into his lover's mouth. His mouth descended and brushed across Shuichi's.

Shuichi's eyes closed of their own volition. A shudder raced along his spine. When he felt Eiri pull away, he sighed dreamily and touched his tingling lips. He heard Eiri chuckle. A blush splashed across Shuichi's cheeks. His eyes fluttered open. He stared at his husband in awe, licking his lips. He still tasted Eiri on him.

“I think it'd be nice to have a girl in the house,” Eiri was saying.

It was Greek to Shuichi. Nothing Eiri was saying made any sense now. He just stared at his husband, elf-struck.

Eiri reached out and cupped his hypnotized husband's cheek. Shuichi tipped his head, closing his eyes with a sigh as he savored his husband's warm touch.

With a sly look on his face, Eiri leaned forward and whispered in Shuichi's ear, “Because you don't count.”

Shuichi shuddered as he felt Eiri's breathe against his ear, but then he froze as his husbands words sunk in. His eyes popped open and his head snapped up. He slapped a hand hard across Eiri's chest. “Jerk!”

Eiri chuckled, grinning mischievously. He stood up and rubbed his chest. It was the same spot where Shuichi hit him before.

Snorting in disgust, Shuichi folded his knees underneath him and settled into the corner of the couch. He pulled out the pen with his chewed up cap that was clipped onto the cover and opened his notebook, searching for the song he had been working on during the trip up from Naha. Like the one he wrote for Desert Star, this one was turning out to be dark and depressing.

Eiri meanwhile walked back over to the carrier and gently picked up Kira. “I'm going to put the boys to bed,” he told Shuichi as he laid his son against his shoulder.

“Uh huh,” Shuichi said distractedly, a frown on his face.

“Shu?” Eiri called.

Shuichi blinked, tearing his eyes from his notebook. “Huh?”

“I'm putting the boys to bed.”

“Oh!” Shuichi set his notebook down on the couch besides him and held out his arms. “Bring me my baby!”

Eiri carried Kira to Shuichi.

“Oh,” Shuichi cooed, cradling his baby boy. He planted a multitude of kisses on his soft cheek. “He's so cute!” He ran a finger lightly across Kira's chubby cheek, smiling dreamily.

“Come on, Shu.”

“Aw,” Shuichi whined as he handed over his son.

“You're an idiot.”

Shuichi snorted. “So are you,” he said as he picked up his notebook and reseated himself on the couch.

Eiri looked at his lover with a raised eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“If _I'm_ an idiot then so are _you_ because _you_ fell in love with _me_ , an idiot.” He grinned at his logic. “See?”

Eiri cocked an eyebrow. With a snort, he shook his head and started towards the stairs.

Giggling, Shuichi held his notebook away from his face at arm’s length and tried to read its blurred print through squinted eyes. With a disgusted, irritated sigh, he stared over the top of the pad at his bag sitting forlornly on the other side of the room. In order to work on the song, that would mean having to get back up and walk all the way across the living room to his bag and fetch his glasses which were buried somewhere in said bag. He frankly did not have the patience or energy to do such a menial task right now. It was getting late anyway. He was exhausted and his stomach seemed to be rebelling against the rice and stir-fry they had for dinner.  
  
 _A sly grin crept onto Kei's face. “So,” he asked, “any plans for more children?”_

Laying the notebook in his lap, Shuichi sighed heavily and stared at his bag from across the room as he lost himself in thought. He had been trying to ignore it, but after what his cousin said at the funeral, it was beginning to look as if that was an impossible.

 

* * *

 

**The Next Morning - Ozaki Funeral Home**

Signaling, Shuichi turned into the parking lot of the funeral home and searching the already full lot was able to find a spot, thankfully, by the front door. It looked like they were one of the last to arrive. It was not at all surprising. Nobody slept well last night, especially Kira and Eiri. Eiri spent the whole night throwing up and Kira had been fussy. Shuichi, who had not felt so well himself, was up taking care of both of them all night. Then Kane had a nightmare and trying to put him back to bed was a chore in and of itself. The only one who got a decent night sleep was Keitaro. Then the boys decided to throw hissy fits this morning.

_“We don't wanna go to Uncle Hiro and Uncle Fujisaki's! They're mean!”_

Shuichi had a feeling their accusation had a lot to do with the fact that Hiro and Fujisaki's patience had worn thin over the past two days and finally snapped. If Kane and Keitaro had behaved themselves then Hiro and Fujisaki would not have been “mean”.

He was not sure what Kane's reason was, but Keitaro was a little upset with his uncle Hiro because Hiro told Eiri and him last night when they “returned from the Wake” about what their son said. Because of that potty mouth, Keitaro was now grounded for a week. Keitaro blamed his uncle for his getting into trouble, though Shuichi had heard him as plain as day over the phone. Keitaro was none too pleased with Shuichi either because Shuichi was the one who suggested to Eiri that they should put hot sauce on Keitaro's tongue to teach him never to say something like that again. Keitaro had not liked that very much.

Then there was the little stunt his eldest son pulled this morning, causing Shuichi to ground the boy for another two weeks and Keitaro was none too happy about that either. Of course, it did not help that all Eiri did was smack Keitaro upside the head for what he did, making Shuichi look like an even bigger bad guy.

Not in the mood to deal with either of the boys antics this morning, both Shuichi and Eiri agreed that they could stay home. Because Keitaro was upset with him, he decided he would stay home to “help take care of Daddy and Kira”. Kane then decided he wanted to go with Shuichi to the funeral. Trying to find an appropriate outfit for Kane to wear to the funeral was another reason why they were so late.

Pulling cleanly into the space (which he knew was a fluke because he sucked at parking), he put the car in park and turned the ignition off. Immediately the cool air blasting from the vents dissipated. The temperature of the interior of the car rapidly rose and it became increasingly stuffy. Unbuckling his seat belt, he slid the key out of the ignition and unlocked the car doors with a “chin”. As he grabbed his wallet and cellphone, his eyes floated to the rearview mirror and landed on the small, blond haired, golden hazel eyed monster in the back seat. A soft, gentle smile lit the singer’s face as he took in his sleeping son. He was just like his daddy, an angel when he was sleeping, but was a devil when he was awake.

Still smiling, Shuichi opened the car door, being careful not to hit the car parked next to him--why did these parking spaces have to be so tiny? Stepping out of the car, he cringed as the intense summer heat enveloped him. He started to sweat immediately. Summer in Tokyo sucked.

Pocketing his keys, he clipped his cellphone to his belt, hiding it from view underneath his black suit coat and slid his wallet in his pocket. Shutting the car door, he walked around the car and opened the back door. Giggling softly, he studied his son.

Kane's head was tipped to one side, his mouth slightly ajar and a little drool dribbling from the corner of his mouth. His hands were palm side up and clasped lightly at his sides. He was dressed similar to Shuichi in a pair of straight lined black slacks and a white dress shirt, minus the suit jacket. His newly chopped hair framed his creamy white face. His little man looked so mature.

“So cute,” Shuichi cooed. Giggling, he leaned over his sleeping son and undid his seatbelt, being careful not to wake him or get him caught in the seatbelt. Grabbing Kane under his arms, Shuichi lifted him out of the booster seat with a grunt. “ God your heavy,” he whispered.

In his sleep, Kane clasped his arms around Shuichi's neck and wrapped his legs around his waist. Sighing, he rested his head against Shuichi's shoulder.

“Awe!”

“Hm?” Shuichi looked over his shoulder and spotted his sister walking towards him. “Hey, Maiko,” he smiled.

“Hey there, Big Brother. Here,” she offered, striding past him to close the car door.

“Thanks.”

Smiling, Maiko crouched down a bit to peer at her nephew. “He's sleeping?”

“Yeah. He had a nightmare last night and was up most of the night.”

“Aw,” she pouted. “Hey,” she cried suddenly, straightening, “what happened to his hair?”

Shuichi rolled his eyes. “Keitaro happened.”

“What?” Her eyes widened with a gasp.

“Uh huh,” Shuichi nodded. “Keitaro chopped off his braid this morning.”

“I don't believe it!”

“Yep.”

“Why would he do something like that?”

Shuichi shrugged. “I have no idea. Kane knows just what to do to get Keitaro all riled up. He knows just what button to push to push his brother over the edge and when he does…? Keitaro snaps.”

“I'm so glad I only have one boy. I think I'd go insane if I had three.”

Shuichi rolled his eyes with a snort. “You have no idea!”

Maiko reached out and brushed the sleeping boy's soft, feathery hair. “It's strange to see him with no hair, but it looks good.”

“Yeah, well, he hates it _and_ his brother,” Shuichi sighed.

“Do you know what happened?”

“Yeah. I had to run to the store to get an outfit for Kane to wear to the funeral. When I left, Keitaro and Kane were in the kitchen eating breakfast and Eiri and Kira were upstairs sleeping.”

Maiko nodded. “It's good they finally got some sleep, seeing they were up all night.”

“Yeah, but it didn't last long.”

“Why-?” Maiko sighed in disgust. She did not even bother to finish that thought.

Shuichi nodded. “Mm hm. Their fighting woke Kira up, which in turn woke Eiri up and Eiri was pissed.”

Maiko snorted. “I can imagine. What were they fighting about this time?”

Shuichi shrugged. “I think Kane was making fun of Keitaro, ya know, because Keitaro is grounded?”

“Ah! That would do it.”

“It does every time,” Shuichi snorted. “Anyway, Eiri grabbed Kira, trying to calm him down, and went downstairs to deal with the boys.” Shuichi paused, swallowing. “Then he heard Kane scream.”

Maiko's eyes widened. “Wha-?”

Shuichi nodded. “Eiri's heart just about stopped! He rushed into the kitchen and found Kane standing in the middle of the kitchen bawling his eyes out. I mean, heart wrenching, hysterical sobs-”

“Oh!” Maiko cried.

“-and Keitaro was putting a pair of scissors and a clump of hair on the kitchen table.”

Maiko gasped.

Shuichi nodded. “Keitaro had cut off Kane's ponytail, though he denied doing it.”

“That's crazy!”

“Eiri was none too pleased, to say the least.”

“I bet!”

“He did not feel well. Kira was screaming in his ear. Kane was howling.” Shuichi shook his head. “When I got back, it was a mad house!”

“So, what Eiri do?”

“He yelled at him, smacked him, and then sent him crying up to his room for a time out.”

Maiko's eyes widened. “That's it?”

“That's what I said! I yelled at Eiri for being too lenient. He yelled at me for getting too worked up over it. ‘It's only hair. It'll grow back.’”

Maiko shook her head. “That's not the point.”

“Ya know? I went up to talk with the little criminal. I asked him why he did it and he denied it, said it wasn't him.”

“Unbelievable.”

Shuichi sighed. “I told him he did do it and that he can't go around doing stuff like that and said that I was grounding him for another two weeks, but if he admitted doing it and apologized, then I would reduce it to a week.”

Maiko nodded. “Fair.”

“He didn't take it too well.”

“So, did he-?”

Shuichi snorted. “Nope. Still claims mistaken identity.”

Maiko shook her head. “Nice.” She was so glad that her children were so welled behaved. Well, at least compared to her brother's three little monsters anyway. “So, how's Yuki-san feeling? Any better?” she asked, breaking the silence.

Shuichi shrugged. “A little. He's not puking anymore, but he still felt like shit when I left.”

“Hm. Strange. He was fine yesterday.”

“I know. Must've been something he ate. Actually, I think he might have been well enough to come, but,” he shrugged, “I think he's using this as an excuse not to.”

Maiko stared at her brother in confusion. “Why?”

Shuichi smirked. “He hates funerals.”

“'He hates funerals'?” she repeated slowly with a raised eyebrow.

“Uh, huh,” Shuichi nodded.

“Isn't he a monk?”

“Yep.”

“And, hasn't he, as a monk, performed several funerals?”

Shuichi dropped his brows in thought. “I think so.” Kane was slipping. Shuichi shifted him, securing his hold on the boy.

Maiko snorted, shaking her head. “What about them does he hate?”

“The dead body part.”

“Ah!” She nodded. “I had a friend in high school like that. Totally freaked her out. So, where are Kira and Keitaro then? At Hiro's?”

Shuichi shook his head. “No, they're both at Mom's with Eiri. I offered to take Kira to Hiro's, but Eiri said not to bother and said Keitaro would take care of them.”

“Male bonding,” Maiko nodded. She turned her attention back to the funeral home

Shuichi stared at his sister through squinted eyes, studying her carefully. “Maiko?”

“Hm?” Her voice sounded strained.

“Is there a reason why you're stalling?”

Maiko sniffed and rubbed her eyes. Turning around, Shuichi was not surprised to see her eyes watering. Her jaw was trembling.

“Maiko,” he whispered. He stepped forward and enveloped his baby sister in a one arm hug.

Maiko leaned against her brother, taking his comfort and his warmth. Shuichi rubbed her back soothingly in slow, lazy circles as she wept quietly; choking on her tears and sobs. A deep well of sadness and despair washed over her, filling her. Her heart hurt. Her soul was crying. It was hard to explain exactly how she felt. It was almost as if the rug had been pulled out from underneath her and she was now teetering on the edge of a cliff, unable to regain her balance. If the wind were to blow hard enough and in the right direction, she would go tumbling off. Right now, she was hanging on by her thumbnails.

Getting hold of herself, Maiko pulled away from her brother and reached into her suit coat, pulling out a Kleenex. She delicately dabbed her wet face.

Shuichi watched his sister in sympathy, his own chest tightening and throat constricting around a forming sob. Tears stun his eyes. Blinking rapidly, he took a deep breath, exhaling through his mouth and leaned his head back, widening his eyes in an attempt to dispel the gathering water. He stayed like that for several long moments until the tightness in his chest loosened. Clearing his throat, he lifted his head and smiled at his sister. “I think we should get inside. It's getting late.”

Maiko nodded and followed her brother towards the funeral home. Her feet suddenly felt like they were encased in blocks of cement and her legs made of lead. She let out a shuddered breath, feeling a weight in the pit of her stomach. “Ya know,” she whispered, breaking the silence, “it's strange.” She stopped shy of walking into the white sided building.

“What is?” Shuichi asked, stopping besides her. He turned towards her.

“I'm surprised your fans and the paparazzi aren't staking out the place. What, with you and Yuki-san being who you are?”

Shuichi nodded. “We were going to release a statement to the press, but decided not to. We want to keep it as quiet as we can. You know, for grandmother and everybody.”

“Yeah,” Maiko nodded. “Don't think they'd appreciate having cameras and screaming girls thrown in their faces when they're trying to mourn the loss of Grandfather.”

“You forget the fan-boys, drag queens, transvestites…”

Maiko sighed heavily, rolling her eyes.

Shuichi giggled. “But,” he continued with a heavy sigh, “I don't think it'll stay that way for much longer.”

“Why not?” she asked in confusion.

Shuichi jerked his head over his shoulder.

“Huh?” Maiko glanced quickly over the parking lot then turned back towards him.

“Across the street.”

Confused, Maiko turned around again and glanced towards the street. She did not see anything particular or out of the ordinary. “I don't see-”

“The car.”

Maiko glanced back across the street, an eyebrow raised. The Ozaki Funeral Home was not located on a major thoroughfare, but it was still quite a busy side street that connected two main streets that were especially busy during rush hour. It was now past morning rush hour and there was a couple hours until the afternoon rush, but there was still dozens of cars going by at any given moment and vehicles were parked on either side of the street. “Oh, that narrows it down,” she said sarcastically. “Which one?”

“That dark blackish-grey Honda Civic in front of the bakery at the corner.”

Maiko looked for a bakery at the corner across the street and found it. It was a non-descript building with flowered curtains hanging across the lower half of the front windows. A few wrought iron bistro sets sat in front of the shop. Like Shuichi said, there was a dark grey car parked in front of it. “Okay. What about it?”

“Take a look inside.”

“It's a little hard to see because the windows are tinted.”

“I know, but you see that guy?”

“Yeah… What's he doing? It looks like he's holding something.”

“Camera.”

Maiko's eyes widened in understanding. “Press?”

Shuichi shook his head. The press he could handle. This guy was something much worse. “Paparazzo.”

“Damn.”

“Yeah,” the singer sighed. He would have to call Eiri and let him know. Shuichi shifted Kane. His arms were beginning to feel like lead. “I need to go find a chair or something. My arms are about to fall off.”

“Oh!” Maiko's eyes widened in realization. “I'm sorry.”

Shuichi started inside, but paused when he realized that Maiko was not following him. “Maiko?” he called over his shoulder.

“Go ahead. I'll be there in a minute.”

“Okay.”

As Shuichi entered the funeral parlor, he felt Kane stir against him. It was about time too. He swore Kane gained weight as he slept. Shuichi pulled his head back and watched his son as the boy lifted his head and rubbed his eyes. “Hey there sleepy head,” he greeted. “Have a nice sleep?” With a frown, Kane blinked and then buried his face back in the crook of Shuichi neck, wrapping his arms around his neck. Shuichi chuckled. Some mornings were better than others.

“Hello there, Shuichi.”

Blinking, Shuichi turned around and watched as his grandfather's younger half-brother strode towards him. “Good morning, Uncle Satoshi,” he greeted, inclining his head as best he could.

Grinning, Uncle Satoshi glanced at the human koala strapped to Shuichi. “Who have we here?”

“This is Kane.”

“Ah! So, this is the Kane I've heard so much about. He is the younger of the two?”

Shuichi nodded. “Yep.”

Uncle Satoshi walked around Shuichi and bent over to get a look at his great-nephew. He was surprised to see a pair of golden hazel eyes staring back at him. “He has his daddy's eyes,” he commented, glancing back at Shuichi.

Shuichi giggled with a nod. “They both do. They're like mini-clones.”

Uncle Satoshi chuckled. “Hello there, Kane,” he addressed the boy. “I'm your uncle Satoshi.”

Kane frowned and dropped his head on Shuichi's shoulder. “Go ‘way,” he mumbled.

Shuichi gasped and Uncle Satoshi's eyes grew wide. He straightened, blinking at the tone of the five year old. Shuichi slapped his son upside the head. Kane in response only tightened his hold. “Watch your mouth,” he scolded the boy. “You remember what happened with Keitaro?” He glanced at his uncle. “I'm sorry Uncle Satoshi. He didn't sleep much last night and fell asleep on the way over here and sometimes he can be a bit of a grouch when he wakes up.” Another trait he inherited from his father.

Uncle Satoshi waved his apology aside. “Don't worry about it. It's understandable. Besides, nobody likes having a stranger stick his face in yours, especially when you just woke up.”

“Satoshi,” came the call.

Shuichi glanced around and spotted his uncles wife waving at him.

Uncle Satoshi waved back at her. “I better go see what she wants,” he said, turning around. “It was nice talking to you, Shuichi.”

“Same here.”

“And it was nice meeting you Kane.”

Kane glanced at his uncle through his bangs. Meeting the older man's gaze, he turned his face away and buried it in Shuichi's shoulder again, practically choking him.

Chuckling, Uncle Satoshi inclined his head and turned away.

Sighing, Shuichi bounced Kane to get his attention. “That's wasn't very nice, Kane. You were very rude to Uncle Satoshi.”

Once again, Kane did not acknowledge what was said to him, only tightening his hold once again.

Sighing again, Shuichi started unhooking his son's claws in him.

Kane protested by whining loudly. “No!”

“Come on, Kane. You're too heavy. You can walk for a little bit.”

Kane held on for all that it was worth.

Sighing, Shuichi decided to bribe the boy. “Hey, you want to go hand over the money?”

Kane nodded against his shoulder.

“Okay, you'll have to let go of me then.”

Shuichi set Kane down with a grateful sigh and shook out his arms. They felt like they were about to fall off.

Reaching inside his suit coat, he grabbed a large envelope covered with black and white wire. Written on the front of the envelope in neat script was printed “Uesugi-Shindou”. On the back was written how much money the envelope contained, the money being their funeral dues. According to his mother, Shuichi, as the eldest grandson, was to pay 30,000 yen. Shuichi had been unsure what his contribution should be because of his and his grandfather's history, but he spoke with his parents the night before and they assured him that he had been named one of his grandfather's heirs. That surprised Shuichi, but at the same time it banished the last of the doubts and shadows that lingered after he learned of his grandfathers passing.

“Here,” he said handing the envelope to his son.

Kane took the envelope and turned it over, studying it, then looked up at him, waiting.

“Take this to the man at the table, okay?” Shuichi pointed to a man with salt and pepper hair standing behind a table several feet away. He was one of his grandfather's ex-coworkers.

Kane nodded and ran across the hallway. Standing on his tiptoes, he reached across the table and gave the envelope of money to the man.

“Thank you, young Shindou-san,” the man said, inclining his head as he took the envelope from the boy's small hand.

Without another word, Kane raced back across the hallway and latched onto Shuichi's leg as if it was a lifeline. Shuichi ran his fingers through Kane's hair. Like him, it seemed to comfort his son.

Shima-san checked over the envelope, and then bent over to write something in a ledger. Shuichi knew he was marking down their names, relationship to the deceased and the amount they were paying.

“Is that your son, Shuichi?”

Shuichi turned around and saw his grandfather's other brother, Todono Waki, and his wife, Benio. “Yes, it is. This is Kane.” Shuichi glanced down at the boy, who was still clinging to his leg. “Kane this is your uncle Waki and Aunt Benio.”

Kane glanced up at him.

“Say hello.”

Kane peered around Shuichi's leg, and then retracted it, burying his face against his leg and tightening his hold.

Shuichi sighed and rolled his eyes. This was one of those times when it became obvious who Kane's father was (as if the hair and eyes were not enough). Eiri despised socializing and so did Kane--that was up until the boy became comfortable with the people he was meant to socialize with.

His uncle chuckled. “He's a little shy, huh?”

“You'd never know it if you saw him at home,” Shuichi admitted, looking down at the blond head. Prying the boy off his leg, he picked him back up. “Come on. I'll introduce you to Grandfather.”

 

**… To Be Continued…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) Kokubetsu Shiki: Announcing-the-Departure  
> (2) Nobe no Okuri: Putting Out to Pasture


	5. The Final Farewell

**Chapter 5: The Final Farewell**

**Ozaki Funeral Home**

In the cool, air conditioned confines of the plush bus reserved for the Todono funeral procession to the crematorium, Shuichi sat by the window towards the back of the bus, watching along with the other attendants from the funeral, for Todono Ranmaru's coffin to be brought out. Kane was sitting sideways on his lap with his face pressed up against the window, an eager expression on his face.

Kane was too young to really understand what a funeral meant, but the whole process fascinated him, especially the _Kokubetsu Shiki,_ or the “Announcing-the-Departure” ceremony, which was the farewell rite where the monks for forty-five minutes chanted in perfect imitation of the Gregorian monks much like they did during the _otsuya_ (1). Kane was equally fascinated by the _Nobe no Okuri_ , or the “Putting Out to Pasture” ceremony, where the body of Todono Ranmaru was displayed for the last time before being sealed in his coffin and taken to the crematorium. This took place after the _Kokubetsu Shiki_ and after the telegrams from those who could not attend were read.

Of course, when Kane saw the lifeless body of his great grandfather, he said, “He looks asleep, Otokasan.” That innocent remark sent everyone into a flutter of tears.

_“He really is your son, Big Brother,”_ Maiko remarked, tears in her eyes from besides him.

Guess so.

Shuichi winced as his sons swinging foot whacked his leg for the third time, bringing him out of his thoughts. He clamped a hand on Kane's foot. “Stop it,” he commanded.

He then looked back out the window to see his grandfather's coffin emerge from the funeral home. Six pallbearers, three on each side, were escorting it. Shuichi recognized his grandfather's brothers, Satoshi, Yoh, Ai, Kazuki and Daiki and their cousin Amuro. The immediate family preceded the coffin out of the funeral home, which included his grandmother, his grandparent's children and their spouses and the rest of his grandfather's siblings and their spouses.

Shuichi pursed his lips and choked back a sob as the pallbearers carried the coffin down the short walk to the waiting black pickup style hearse. He watched as they carefully maneuvered the coffin around and slid it into the hearse. Tears stun his eyes, blurring his vision. His throat ached as it locked around a sob. A black hole of sadness and despair opened up inside of him.

He tore his gaze from the sight, breathing deeply in through his nose and slowly exhaling through his mouth in an attempt to calm himself down. It was not working. His chest began to burn. Leaning his head back, he stared at the roof of the bus with wide eyes. He blinked, trying to dispel the deluge of tears stinging his eyes. Clearing his aching throat, he looked back out the window.

He was not one to hide or suppress his emotions, but this time it was different. He had to be strong in front of his children. Afterwards. Afterwards, he could break down.

The coffin had vanished from view within the dark confines of the hearse and the pallbearers had joined the rest of the family gathered in the parking lot to speak to the owners of the funeral home. A man dressed in black Shuichi did not recognize stepped forward and shut the back door, locking it with a resounding “click”. Shuichi jumped, cringing as the sound echoed in his head. His heart lurched painfully.  
    
“Otokasan?” asked a sudden small voice.

Shuichi gasped, startled. Blinking, he tried to focus his mind. Lifting his head, he stared down at his son and asked, “What?”

“Do we get to go to the crematorium now?” Kane asked with those large innocent golden hazel eyes.

“Crematorium”?

Shuichi's smile wavered and dropped. His heart gave a sharp jolt. Kane blurred behind another wash of tears. His throat once again closed around a threatening sob.

In about two hours, his grandfather's body would be nothing more than a pile of ash and bone. The bones would be separated and passed from person to person by chopsticks and placed into an urn, which would be Todono Ranmaru's final resting place.

Shuichi choked back a sob and blinked back his tears.

Turning, Shuichi met his sister's glistening chocolate eyes several rows up. She smiled sadly back at him. He then swept his gaze around the bus and met the dead, watery eyes of several of his relatives before they averted their gaze.

Licking suddenly dry lips, Shuichi swallowed and cleared his throat. Forcing himself to smile, he stared into Kane's eyes and nodded. “Yeah,” he squeaked. He cleared his throat. “As soon as they,” he pointed out the window to his grandmother and the others, “get on the bus, we'll follow that black car to the--crematorium,” he stuttered painfully.

“Okay!” Satisfied, Kane turned to gaze out the window, lightly swinging his legs and humming quietly to himself.

Shuichi sighed and studied his son, a small, blank smile on his face. He ran a hand through Kane's dirty blond locks. He rested his head against the back of the seat, holding his son securely in his lap and turned to stare blankly out the window. A stray tear rolled down his cheek.

 

* * *

 

**En Route**

The forty-five minute trip to the Forest Lawn Crematorium was all a blur to Shuichi. He was aware of nothing as the bus shadowed the black hearse through the busy streets. He stared through unseeing eyes out the window as the scenery rushed by in a blur of color.

He jumped, startled, when he felt a hand clasp his shoulder. Blinking, he turned to stare blankly at the person belonging to that hand. Slowly, his mind began to focus.

“Hey, Big Brother,” the voice said softly.

Shuichi finally focused on his sister standing in the aisle between the seats in her black pinstripe pantsuit. Her long, silky chestnut brown hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail at the nape of her neck.

He smiled half-heartedly at her and indicated the empty seat beside him. Kane had taken a liking to Shuichi's lap and had his face pressed up to the window, watching the cityscape slowly dissolve into a suburban and than a rural landscape. The five year old was talking silently to himself.

Maiko sat down next to Shuichi. “What're you thinking?” she asked quietly.

“Trying not to,” he admitted blandly.

She nodded in understanding. Her gaze drifted to Kane. She smiled sweetly at her nephew and raked her nails through the back of his hair. “I still can't believe he did this, but it looks good. I think Keitaro did a good job.”

Shuichi snorted and rolled his eyes. “It only looks good because I was able to find someone to fix it this morning.”

“Yeah?”

“You should have seen it before.” He was grateful for the distraction and the opportunity to not think about the funeral and all it entailed. It did not surprise him anymore that everyone seemed to know his every mood and thought, even before he did.

“And Eiri really wasn't upset?”

“Well, yeah, of course he was, but like I said he didn't think it was such a big deal.”

Maiko nodded. “But doesn't it seem kinda weird?”

“What?”

“Eiri being so--so-- _lenient_ I guess.”

“When it comes to Keitaro, the boy can do no wrong. He's Daddy's little man.”

Maiko snickered.

Silence descended upon them. The Shindou siblings sat in quiet contemplation, each one lost in his own thoughts.

“Guess who called last night,” Maiko snorted, interrupting the silence.

Tearing his gaze from the window he had not been seeing, Shuichi refocused his gaze and attention on his sister. “Who?” he asked, indifferently.

“ _He_ called me.”

Shuichi blinked, his mind going blank. “He who?” Then the answer hit him. “God! He did?” he asked incredulously.

“Yup,” Maiko nodded. She forced out a laugh. “Can you believe him?” She turned her head away from her brother's questioning stare so he would not see the emotions swirling on her face.

Shuichi sighed in disgust. “What that jerk want?”

“He wants to talk,” Maiko explained, mockingly. She then bit her lip.

Shuichi looked at his sister out of the corner of his eye, studying her closely. “You're still in love with him, aren't you?”

Maiko’s head flew up and around. She stared at Shuichi with wide, shock filled eyes. “What are you-? How could you-? I mean, after what that bastard did?”

Shuichi smiled softly at her, shaking his head. “Maiko,” he scolded gently.

Maiko sighed and hung her head in her hands. “Is that bad? I mean…I don't know. I just don't know anything anymore.”

“Do you want him back?” he asked.

Maiko said nothing for several long moments. Finally, she lifted her head and rested it against the back of the seat. She gazed blankly up at the roof of the bus. “I don't know,” she admitted. “God help me, despite what he did, I still love him, but…I don't know if I…” She sighed.

“You're scared.”

Maiko smiled painfully. “Yeah, I suppose I am.”

Shuichi reached over and covered her hand with his.

Maiko lifted her head and turned to look at her brother.

“That's natural. I mean, you trusted him and he betrayed you and you don't want to be hurt again.”

“Yeah,” she said softly.

“I think you need to do what's right for you and for your children. All I want is for you to be happy Little Sister.”

Maiko smiled sadly and sighed heavily. Leaning her head back against the seat, she admitted softly, “Thanks, but…I…don't know what I want.”

Shuichi gave her hand a little squeeze. “That's fine! You don't have to decide right now. All he wants is to talk, right?”

She nodded, not saying anything.

Shuichi could see the confusion on her face, the uncertainty and the pain, the hurt. It pained him to see his sister like this. “Just talk then.”

Maiko turned to regard him with an uncertain expression. “You think I should?”

He shrugged. “Pick a neutral place and just…talk and…take it from there.”

She smiled at her big brother and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “Thanks, Shuichi.”

“Anytime,” he smiled.

“Just when did you get to be so smart?” she teased.

Shuichi grinned. “Didn't you know? I'm a mad genius!”

Maiko snorted. “You got the mad part right.”

“Hey!” He swatted her arm.

“Ow,” Maiko pouted, fake tears in her eyes and grabbed her “injured” arm. “That hurt! I'm gonna tell,” she whined.

Shuichi sighed and rolled his eyes.

They stared silently at each other for several long seconds before they broke out into fits of silent laughter.

Kane looked at his Otokasan over his shoulder. Curious, he crawled into Shuichi's lap. “What're you laughing at?” he inquired.

“Nothing,” Shuichi said giggling. He cleared his throat in a vain attempt at stopping his laughter.

“Nuh uh! You're laughing at something. What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing.”

“Tell me!”

Shuichi shook his head, smiling.

“Otokasan,” Kane whined.

“Kane,” Shuichi imitated.

With a humph, Kane turned his back on Shuichi and stared out the window, feeling put out.

Shuichi and Maiko shook with silent laughter.

Kane caught sight of the long, black car with the curtains over its windows in front of the bus. He wondered about the box inside the car that carried Papa. Otokasan said they were taking Papa to the crematorium. He knew what that meant. He heard Daddy and Otokasan talking to Aunt Maiko and Grandma and Grandpa Shindou the other night. At the crematorium, Papa was going to be put into an oven and turned into ashes. Kane frowned. But if that happened, did that not meant that…?

“Otokasan?”

Shuichi giggled and slapped his sister. “What?” he asked, Kane, laughing lightly. He wiped his teary eyes.

Kane turned away from the window and crawled back into Shuichi's lap. He stared deeply into the pretty purple eyes of his Otokasan. It was always easier to tell what Otokasan was thinking when he looked into his eyes, because sometimes Otokasan did not tell the truth. That is what Daddy always says.

Shuichi looked down into his son’s large golden hazel eyes and was taken aback by the fear he saw in them. “Kane? What's wrong?” he asked in concern, searching the boys face in sudden seriousness.

“I-is it going to hurt?” Kane asked. His eyes pleaded with his Otokasan, searching his face closely. His jaw was set in stubborn seriousness.

Shuichi blinked in confusion, frowning. “Is what going to hurt?” he asked bewildered.

“Papa.”

“What about him?”

Kane placed his hands on Shuichi's shoulders and stood up on his knees so that he could stare right into Shuichi's eyes.

Shuichi winced as his son's knees dug into his thighs.

“I-if he's, if he's going to be in-cin-er-ated,” he felt proud at being able to say such a big word, a word he heard daddy say last night, “then, then won't it hurt?”

Shuichi choked back a sob as his heart lurched. A lump formed in his throat and a veil of tears obscured his vision. Clearing his throat forcibly, he blinked rapidly to dispel his tears. He took deep, slow, even breaths to try to calm down. “No, it won't hurt,” he answered with a squeak. He cleared his throat again. “It won't hurt,” he repeated, his voice stronger.

Kane did not believe him. His eyes roamed over Shuichi's face. “Not even a little bit?”

Shuichi shook his head, smiling at his son through his tears. “Papa's already--gone,” he admitted, his voice tight.

His smile wavered as the truth of his words hit home. It was silly. He knew his grandfather was dead and that he was not coming back, but it still hurt. He was no longer racked by his guilt, but his sorrow and his feelings of loss were like black holes inside him eating away at all his joy and happiness. That was why he had been so grateful to Maiko for distracting him before.

Kane shook his head. “Nuh uh!” he protested, snapping Shuichi out of his thoughts. “I sawded him! He, he-!”

“Kane,” Shuichi called softly but forcibly.

Maiko watched and listened to the conversation between father and son in silence.

Shuichi breathed out slow and long as he tried to loosen the tightness in his throat and chest. “Papa's not here,” he whispered again. If he spoke any louder, he would lose it. “His soul's already moved on,” Shuichi continued, his voice tight and small. He sniffed and wiped his teary eyes with his fingers. He tried to hold them back. He could not cry, not now, not in front of Kane. He had to remain strong, or at least appear so until he could get a few minutes alone. Because if he shed one tear now, it would be the final crack that broke the dam and all the flood waters would come gushing forth. He cleared his throat. “All that's left is an empty shell,” he explained, his voice tightening into a whisper. It hurt to say that out loud. It was like a knife to his heart.

Kane blinked. He stared at his Otokasan in confusion. “What's that?”

“It means,” Maiko started to explain to her nephew, “that Papa's soul is gone. He's already moved on.”

Shuichi smiled his thanks at her. She smiled back.

“He's moved on?” Kane repeated, trying to make sense of everything.

Maiko and Shuichi nodded.

“Yup,” Maiko answered.

Shuichi pulled his son to him, setting him down onto his lap so that his knees were no longer digging into him.

“Where has he moved on to?” Kane asked in all seriousness.

Shuichi shrugged. “He might have gone to Heaven, or he could have been reborn.”

Kane's eyes lit up. A smile flashed across his face. “Papa's been reborn?”

“Maybe,” Shuichi said, returning his sons contagious grin.

Kane's smile widened and his eyes gleamed with joy. He bounced on Shuichi's lap. “As what? A baby? Could Papa be a baby?”

“Could be,” Shuichi giggled.

Kane giggled. “That's funny, Otokasan! Papa as a baby!” He giggled again. “That'd make me older than Papa!”

Smiling, Shuichi exchanged a look with Maiko. She had a hand over her mouth laughing. Her eyes gleamed with amusement.

Kane leaned forward, whispering conspiratorially, “Could he be _the_ baby?”

Shuichi's smile slipped off his face. His eyes widened in shock. How had he…?

Maiko blinked in confusion, switching her gaze from her brother to her nephew and back.

“Could he, Otokasan?” Kane prodded.

Shuichi groaned inwardly. He thought Keitaro and he had been asleep! Dammit! “Maybe,” he sighed.

Kane squealed.

“Hey, Big brother,” Maiko interjected, poking his arm. “What's he talking about? What baby?”

Shuichi cursed silently and shook his head. “It's nothing, Maiko.”

Maiko turned in her seat to face Shuichi. “Come on, Shuichi! What baby?”

“Otokasan is going to have another baby!” Kane told her happily.

Shuichi winced, gritting his teeth. Double damn!

Maiko gasped and stared at her brother in surprise. “Shuichi! A ba-!”

Shuichi slapped a hand over her mouth, shushing her loudly. He glanced around the bus, his heart beating widely in his chest. Nobody seemed to be paying them any particular attention. “No, Maiko. There is no baby,” he hissed quietly. He was surprised at how smoothly that came out.

“But-!” she mumbled against his hand.

Shuichi shook his head. “Eiri and I've been talking about having another baby,” he explained, removing his hand.

Maiko nodded. “Oh, well,” she sighed. “Are you sure?” she prodded, staring at him through squinted eyes, not ready to give up.

Shuichi nodded, blushing.

“I guess that's good then. I mean, you just had a baby. It's too soon to have another one.”

Shuichi gulped. “Yeah,” he laughed nervously. He prayed she would drop the subject. He was not feeling too comfortable discussing this.

“Daddy wants a daughter!” Kane proudly boasted.

Shuichi felt his face grow warm. He was not sure who he should kill first, Eiri or Kane.

Maiko looked at her brother with a raised eyebrow. “Really?”

Shuichi nodded, his blush deepening.

“That's so cute,” Maiko cooed loudly.

Shuichi glanced around the bus and noticed several people glancing their way. He just wanted to die right there. “Maiko,” he hissed.

“What?” she asked innocently.

“Please!”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on! Like the whole family doesn't already know that you-!”

“I know that!”

“Then what's the problem?”

Shuichi sighed heavily. How could he explain it to her? Hell, he did not know how to explain it to himself. It was one thing for something to be public knowledge, like his “condition”, but it was another for it to be discussed or flaunted in public.

“Daddy said, Daddy said that he wants a girl because Otokasan doesn't count,” Kane interjected.

Shuichi gasped, his eyes widening in shock and surprise. “Kane,” he cried, blushing.

Maiko threw her head back and burst out laughing.

Shuichi would be having a long talk with Eiri when he got home.

There was no proof that he was pregnant. It was just a suspicion he had. It is not as if he did not want to have another child with Eiri. It was just that so much was going on. He had a book to finish, had a new baby at home and he had the opportunity to record a new song, his first in over 6 years. Having a baby right now would be inconvenient.

But…  
    
What if he was pregnant? Then what?

Then things were going to get a bit more complicated from here on out. As if he needed anymore stress in his life.

  
 

* * *

 

**Forest Lawn Crematorium**

“I think this's it,” Shuichi heard Maiko say a little while later.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Shuichi glanced out the window and spotted a stone building with vertical slotted windows looming in the distance. The single story structure had a glass dome over what he assumed was the atrium. A horseshoe shaped drive swept past a glass-enclosed entrance with a double set of solid hardwood doors. A large black carriage lamp hung over the entrance. A well-maintained lawn and garden surrounded the crematorium. Large, black letters spelled out “Forest lawn Crematorium” on the stone façade to the left of the front doors.

The bus slowed and turned into the drive, bouncing over the curb, jostling the passengers. As they followed the hearse up the curved driveway, Shuichi felt a sudden tightness in his chest and an ache in his heart.

This was it. Tears stun his eyes and a lump formed in his throat as the bus slowed to a stop in front of the crematorium.  
  

* * *

 

As they filed off the bus, Shuichi felt cold despite the sweltering heat of the mid-afternoon sun pressing down around them.

He watched as if from a distance as the same man from earlier swung the back of the hearse open and the six pallbearers stepped forward to grab the wooden box as it slid out of the dark cavern of the hearse.

Holding the coffin securely between them, the six men marched towards the waiting stretcher that a couple of the staff members had wheeled out of the crematorium as soon as the bus had pulled up. Each stepped at the same time and walked at the same speed. Either side mirrored the other perfectly. It was done with military precision and perfection. Once the six pallbearers were situated around the stretcher, three on each side, they simultaneously, without breaking or loosening their hold, turned so that they were facing each other over the lid of the coffin. They had grim expressions on their faces. As one, they lowered the coffin down onto the stretcher and then turned with a snap to face the crematorium.

A man that could not be any taller than Fujisaki appeared out of nowhere. He had dark narrow eyes that made it appear as if he were squinting. If it were not for the wrinkles around his mouth and eyes, he would look no older than Shuichi. The man had short-cropped thinning black hair that was slicked back off his forehead and showed off his receding hairline. His straight lined black suit with gold cufflinks and starched, crisp white button up shirt looked like it cost more than what his parents made in a year. Hell, it looked like it cost more than most of the suits Eiri and he purchased over the years. The man’s black shoes, shined within an inch of their lives, clicked as he strode down the front walk towards them. He bowed in greeting. “Good afternoon. I am Hojo Ryosuke, manager of the Forest Lawn Crematorium. Welcome. We at Forest Lawn Crematorium want to convey our heartfelt apologies and express our deepest sympathies for your loss.”

Shuichi saw his grandmother bow her head at the man's kind words. To him, the speech sounded rehearsed and phony. There was no real emotion behind it. It sounded like a speech he said several times a day, but it was still appreciated.

“Now if you will follow me?”

Two uniformed staff members that Shuichi recognized as the same two who brought out the stretcher stepped out of the shadows and opened the doors for the group.

First Hojo Ryosuke, followed by the coffin on the stretcher pulled by the six pallbearers, then the immediate family with everyone else pulling up the rear walked in an orderly fashion into the crematorium.

They were greeted with a cool blast of air that sharply contrasted with the blaring heat outside, but Shuichi did not feel the difference. He followed as they were led through the lobby into the atrium and up a ramp and down one hallway and then another, past several Tatami rooms until they reached the ovens in the back. He had taken in nothing as they walked through the beautiful building with its breathtaking hand painted murals, the mixture of traditional and modern architecture, gold leaf, marble, hand carved wood and its open, airy feeling. It was like much of the bus ride here, one giant blur.

They filed into the cremation room past fourteen ovens, which were all in use. The loves ones of Todono Ranmaru gathered around the last oven. A ceramic tongue was sticking out of the oven from a yawning mouth. Shuichi giggled softly at the comparison, which quickly turned into a sob.

Clamping a hand over his mouth, he watched through tear blurred eyes as the stretcher wheeled up to the platform, lying end to end. Without much ceremony, the wooden box was pushed from the stretcher, onto the platform and into the oven. The door clanged shut after it.

He was not sure when it started, but as Shuichi bowed deeply towards the oven in farewell, he found himself quietly sobbing. His shoulders shook lightly.

Straightening, he stared blankly at the oven, his tears coursing down his cheeks. People began filing out of the room past him. A few hugged him, some patted his shoulder or back in passing. His mother kissed him lightly on the cheek, but Shuichi was unaware of the sympathetic looks and the quiet muffled sobs from the other attendants. The only thing he was aware of was the thought that kept repeating itself repeatedly in his head.

…Grandpa is gone and he is never coming back…

…Grandpa is gone and he is never coming back…

…Grandpa is gone and he is never coming back…

…Grandpa is gone and he is never coming back…  
    
A lone tear rolled down his cheek.

At a noise behind him, he quickly wiped his damp cheeks and looked over his shoulder. His sister and his son were watching him from the doorway of the room. Maiko was holding Kane's right hand as the five year old sucked his thumb, watching him with open curiosity. With a small smile, Shuichi brushed away the last of his tears and crossed the room towards them.

 

* * *

 

**That Evening - Shindou Residence**

Kane in his black suit raced up the front steps and vanished around the half-wall where his grandmother had planted a row of dwarf hedges. Making his way slowly behind his son was Shuichi with his keys jangling in his hands.

Halfway up the steps, he halted his procession with a hiss. Cringing, he bent over and massaged the back of his leg as pain-like sensations exploded through his leg. Breathing deeply, he felt the last of the painful prickling vanish. Breathing out a sigh, he brought his leg down and tapped his toes against the step. Gathering himself, Shuichi started back up the steps.

After his grandfather's remains had been exhumed from the oven, sorted and placed into the urn, Shuichi had called a taxi to take Kane and him back to the Ozaki Funeral Home where they picked up their car and headed back to his parent’s house. After the awe and wonderment of being in a new place had worn off, Kane quickly became bored and antsy. Then the whining set in. That was when Shuichi lost his patience and decided to call it a night.

About now, everyone else should be having dinner. He was not sure what the game plan was. All he knew was that they had all been talking, reminiscing and catching up when he left. He was not sure when his parents or his sister would get home, probably late. His family had a tendency to party late into the night.

Shuichi stepped onto the porch and automatically glanced around for Kane. He found him crouched with his back to him in the corner watching and poking at something on the ground.

“What're you doing?” he inquired.

“Watching a bug,” Kane answered without turning around.

Shuichi grimaced with a shudder. Everyone was always saying how much Kane took after him and for the most part, he had to agree, except when it came to the creepy critters. Bugs gave him the heebie-jeebies. They were disgusting, germ and disease-ridden things and he hated them, which Eiri used to his advantage every chance he had.

He walked to the front door, searching for the house key on his keychain. “Come on,” he called to his son. “Leave the bug alone.”

Kane giggled. “It looks funny, ‘Kasan!”

“Yeah?” Shuichi slipped the key into the lock and turned it, unlocking the door with a click.

“Uh huh!”

Pushing the door open, Shuichi yanked the key out of the lock and turned back to Kane, slipping his keys into his pocket. “Let's go.” He watched Kane stand up, his hands cupped in front of him. Shuichi squinted. “What do you have?” He had a feeling he already new.

Kane held up his cupped hands proudly. “A bug,” he smiled gleefully.

Shuichi wrinkled his nose. “Well, put it down. You aren't bringing it into the house.”

“But I want to show it to Keitaro,” Kane protested whining and hopping on his toes.

“Then bring him out here,” Shuichi suggested.

“But-!”

Behind him, Shuichi heard the sound of stampeding feet. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Keitaro racing down the hallway towards him.

His eldest son was wearing a pair of khakis shorts and a white polo shirt. Shuichi was not even sure if the boy even owned a pair of jeans. Dryly, he wondered whom he inherited his conservatism from. It certainly was not from either Eiri or him.

Keitaro ran out of the house and stopped before his brother who Shuichi noticed for the first time was about an inch or two shorter. He had a feeling Keitaro was going to be as tall as his daddy was.

“Look what I found,” Kane exclaimed, his eyes bright and wide as he spotted his brother.

“What is it?” Keitaro asked eagerly.

As Kane opened his hands carefully to show his brother, and hairstylist, Shuichi caught sight of the large, black, disgusting thing. Kane and Keitaro huddled over the bug so closely their faces nearly touched it. Shuichi shuddered and turned his gaze away.

“It's so cool,” he heard Keitaro exclaim.

Shuichi sighed, shaking his head. Boys and bugs. He liked the idea of having a daughter more and more, but then, his daughter could turn out to be a tomboy, which would defeat the purpose of having a little girl in the first place.

There was a small chuckle behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, Shuichi saw Eiri standing behind him with his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the door with a smirk on his face.

Eiri pushed away from the door and stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Shuichi's waist. He pulled the smaller man towards him, pressing their bodies together in perfect alignment. Shuichi raised his arms and draped them around Eiri's neck.

“Welcome home,” Eiri whispered huskily as he dipped his head.

“Hmmm,” Shuichi hummed with a smile as he rose up on his toes.

Eiri pressed his lips against his husbands softly in a brief, chaste kiss, then pulled away to take a couple short breathes before closing his lips onto Shuichi's once again, drawing them into his mouth with his tongue one at a time. His arms tightened around Shuichi's back, his fingers splayed. The kiss deepened and turned passionate. Shuichi felt himself melting under Eiri's kiss. The spots where Eiri touched him were hot. He felt weak.

After what seemed like an eternity, Eiri pulled away, a self-satisfied smirk on his face when he took in his husband's dazed expression.

With a contented sigh, Shuichi rested his head against Eiri's chest, listening to the man's heartbeat. A smile crossed his face and warmth spread through him. He sighed again and snuggled within his husband's arms. Eiri's arms tightened around him, holding him firmly against him.

“How was the funeral?” Eiri asked him, rubbing his hands slowly around Shuichi's back in lazy circles.

Shuichi snorted. “You'd know if you would have come.”

“I was sick,” Eiri said lamely.

“Uh huh.” And the sky was green. “Likely excuse. I know you hate funerals. You hate looking at dead bodies just as much as I hate bugs.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about,” Eiri lied, trying to conceal a blush. Again with the blushing! If Tatsuha or Seguchi ever found out, he would never be able to live it down.

“Yeah, right,” Shuichi retorted. “Just like that mystery fart that stunk up the bedroom last night.”

“That was Kira.”

Shuichi clucked his tongue. Pulling away from Eiri, he swatted his arm. “Eiri,” he scolded with a laugh.

Eiri chuckled. “Must be that damn milk you feed him.”

With a roll of his eyes, Shuichi snorted. “That damn milk” was breast milk they decided to buy off the net after they volunteered Seguchi to do a very thorough background search of the site and the donors. Nevertheless, contrary to popular opinion, the breast milk was not the problem. The problem lay in the whole milk that they fed Kira occasionally.

A squeal from behind him caught their attention. Eiri's hands dropped when Shuichi turned around and watched as Kane raced around the porch with Keitaro hot on his heels. Keitaro was holding something large and black out in his hands as he chased his brother with an evil expression on his face. Instead of watching where he was going, Kane was looking over his shoulder at his brother and the bug clutched in his hands. Shuichi was not sure if Kane was laughing or screaming.

Shuichi and Eiri watched their boys for a few moments as they chased each other and teased one another with that disgusting creature around the porch. Their laughter echoed into the humid summer air.

Shuichi felt his heart swell as he watched his boys. He was glad Keitaro and Kane were getting along. After what happened this morning, Kane had nearly killed his brother and Keitaro had been sulking and angry at the world. It was nice to see them laughing and happy together.

Leaning back against his husband's chest, he called out to them, “Alright guys.” He felt Eiri's hands lightly clasp his hips. “Put the bug down, go wash your hands, go check on your brother and then we can go get pizza for dinner.”

The boys stopped running around the porch and cheered, jumping up and down.

“I want pepperoni,” Kane cried, racing towards Shuichi. “Can we get pepperoni?” he pleaded.

“I don't want pepperoni,” Keitaro whined as he dropped the bug unceremoniously.

“Well, I do,” Kane told his brother.

“I want eggplant and squid,” Keitaro told his father.

“You don't even know what eggplant is,” Eiri told his son.

“And you don't like squid,” Shuichi reminded him. “Now, go get ready.”

“'Kay,” Kane and Keitaro said as they raced into the house like a herd of elephants.  
    
“Shoes,” Shuichi shouted over his shoulder as he turned in Eiri's arms. He rose up on his toes and placed a quick kiss on Eiri lips before stepping out of the circle of his arms. Skirting the man, he walked into the house just as Kane vanished up the staircase. He sighed in disgust as he saw one of Kane's shoes by the staircase and the other laying on top of Eiri's sandals.

“How was the funeral?” Eiri asked as he stepped into the house behind his husband. He shut and locked the door behind him.

Shuichi shrugged as he toed off his shoes and set them neatly besides his husband's. Picking up Kane's shoe that was using his father's shoes as a shoe rack, he placed it next to Keitaro's and fetched the other one at the bottom of the staircase.

“It was nice,” he admitted as he set Kane's shoe besides its twin.

Straightening, Shuichi slipped his sunglasses off his head, pulled out his keys, wallet and phone out of his pockets and set them on the table near the front door. As Eiri walked passed him, he smiled at the man and laced his fingers with his husband's. Together they walked into the living room and sat down on the couch.

“Nice?” Eiri prodded, breaking the silence.

Well, maybe not just nice. Strangely, or maybe not so strangely, Shuichi felt a sort of calming peace around him. It was almost as if weights had been removed from his body. His step and body felt lighter. It no longer felt as if he were sloshing through quicksand in a pair of cement galoshes. While his grandfather was resting in peace, Shuichi felt at peace for the first time since he received news of his grandfather's death. “Yeah,” Shuichi nodded with a soft smile.

Eiri studied Shuichi with a raised eyebrow. A tiny smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth.

Sighing, Shuichi folded his legs underneath him and cuddled against Eiri's side. Eiri draped an arm around Shuichi's shoulder. “Actually, there was a paparazzo at the funeral home.”

“We knew it would happen sooner or later.”

“Yeah,” Shuichi agreed, “I know.” He laid his head against Eiri's shoulder. “I was just hoping it would be later rather than sooner, ya know? For my grandmother's sake.”

“Hm. Nothing we can do about it now.”

“I know,” Shuichi sighed.

They both sat in peaceful silence, enjoying the quiet. Occasionally, they heard a stampede of feet and a loud cry from the boys. Shuichi was surprised they had not woken up Kira.

This reminded him…

“Oh! Uhm…” Shuichi felt his face grow warm. “Eiri?” he called timidly.

“Hmmm.”

“Uh…I love you?”

Eiri sighed heavily. “What you do?” he asked bored.

Offended, Shuichi pouted. “Why do you always-?”

“Because you always do.”

Shuichi sat back and crossed his arms over his chest.  
    
“Well?” Eiri prodded when Shuichi remained silent.

Dropping his arms, Shuichi stared down at his hands in his lap. His fingers danced around one another as he flushed in embarrassment. “Uhm, well…I uh…”

Eiri sighed. He knew where this was going.

Suddenly, the silence of the house was shattered by Kira's shrill cries. Both men sighed. Eiri in exasperation and Shuichi in relief. There was a pounding of feet and then, “Daddy! Baby Kira woke up!”  
    
Shuichi giggled.

Eiri sighed again and pushed to his feet.

“Oh!” Shuichi unfolded his legs. “Let-!”

“I'll do it,” Eiri insisted.

“But-!”

Eiri bent over the arm of the couch and when he straightened, he had a very familiar rectangular box in his hand.

Shuichi gasped. Going pale, his eyes widened.

“Here,” Eiri said handing it to him.

“Eiri-”

“Keitaro was playing with your bag earlier,” Eiri explained. Turning, he walked out of the living room and vanished up the stairs to the wailing Kira.  
    
Shuichi stared at the spot where Eiri disappeared then down at the thin, rectangular, pink pregnancy test box. An upsurge of shame swept through him. Groaning, he slumped down on the sofa and covered his face with his hands.

 

**…To Be Continued…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) Otsuya: "Originally, at Otsuya, only the relatives and close friends used to gather in order to console the deceased, reluctant to leave while setting a light and burning incense all day long. Recently, those who cannot attend a funeral are accepted at Otsuya as well."
> 
> See more about Buddhist funerals at: http://www.jpn-miyabi.com/Vol.7/funeral-e.html


	6. Discord, Appointments and Threats

**Chapter 6: Discord, Appointments and Threats,**

**Shindou Residence**

“'Kasan?” called a small, timid voice.

“What?” replied Shuichi automatically, distracted by the pink box in his hand.

“Uhm.” Keitaro shot his otokasan a quick, uncertain and fear filled glance before dropping his gaze back to the floor. “Do you, uhm…”

“Do I what?” Shuichi asked with a frown, not really paying attention to his son. He just could not get his mind around the possibility that after giving birth to Kira just three short months ago and getting his pre-pregnancy figure back, he might be pregnant again. He knew how much having a daughter meant to Eiri and Shuichi wanted to give him one, but now was not the time. He was not sure what to do.

“Do you love me?” Keitaro asked shyly, his voice dropping to a whisper.

“Of course, Sweetie,” Shuichi answered without thinking.

Keitaro's frown deepened. A well of sadness washed over him. His beautiful golden eyes that he inherited from his father glistened with unshed tears. Rolling his eyes up, he peered at his otokasan then lowered them back to the floor. He felt worse now than he did when Kane told him that Otokasan did not love him anymore because he was bad. He told his brother he was wrong, that Otokasan did love him and that he, Kane, was a big poop-y head. Now he was not so sure. Though, it did look as if Otokasan was busy. He was staring at a tiny pink box with a sad expression on his face. Therefore, he might not have heard him, just pretended as Daddy does sometimes, but he just was not sure. But then again, maybe Kane was right and Otokasan did not really love him after all.

Gradually, Shuichi became aware of the heavy silence. It penetrated through his muddled thoughts. Blinking, Shuichi tore his gaze away from the pregnancy test in his hands and lifting his head, he glanced in the mirror above the vanity to catch a glimpse of Keitaro fidgeting in the bathroom doorway. Setting the pink box down, he slipped off his glasses and set them next to the pregnancy test upside down. Turning around, he faced his long faced son.

“Keitaro?” he called softly.

Pushing away from the sink, he crossed the expanse between them. His eyes never left his oldest boy’s profile. Cringing, he stiffly knelt down in front of the boy. He placed a hand lightly on Keitaro's waist and with a finger, tapped him under the chin to get him to raise his head.

“Keitaro sweetie? What's wrong?” he asked his son gently.

Keitaro pushed against his hand, refusing to look at him and tucked his chin to his chest. He folded in on himself, making himself a smaller target.

Shuichi sighed and dropped his hands to his sides. Pursing his lips, he grunted as he sat back on his heels. Clasping his hands between his knees, he watched his son closely. “Keitaro if you don't tell me what's wrong, how can I help you?”

A sudden sniff broke the silence.

“Keitaro?”

Keitaro said thickly. “Kane said that…”

“What did he say?” Shuichi prodded gently.

“He said that ‘cause I was bad…?”

“Yeah?”

Keitaro still was not looking at him.

“That, that you do not like me no more!”

Shuichi's jaw dropped with a gasp. His eyes widened in shock. “What?!”

He stared at his son in astonishment. Shuichi knew he had to have a long talk with that boy. As fat tears and snot rolled down Keitaro's face, as sobs shook his shoulders and as he rubbed his eyes with fisted hands, Shuichi's astonishment turned to pity and sympathy.

“Oh, Keitaro,” he breathed.

Falling to his knees, he pulled his son into his arms and hugged him none too gently, nearly crushing his tiny little body. Keitaro returned his hug, burying his face in the crook of his neck. Shuichi's own tears filled his eyes and trickled down his face. How could Kane say something so horrible? Moreover, how could Keitaro buy into his brother's lies?

“No! Nononono! Oh, God, sweetie! No!” Pulling away, he cupped Keitaro's face between his hands and stared into those big, gold eyes. “Don't ever listen to crap like that,” he cried angrily, giving Keitaro a little shake. “You hear me?” His vision blurred behind a wall of tears. He pulled Keitaro back into a bone-crunching hug. He heard Keitaro's sobs, felt them dampen his shirt. He felt his son trembling against him. “Sh!”

Shuichi sniffed and gently stroked Keitaro's hair in an attempt at calming him down. He was a lot like him in that regard.

He violently cleared his throat, trying to loosen the tightness constricting it. Blinking rapidly, he tipped his head back slightly and opened his eyes wide, trying to push back his tears.

“I want you to listen to me,” he ordered Keitaro in a whispered voice through his tears. “Okay?”

“Uh huh!” Keitaro hiccup sobbed. He brought a hand up and wiped away the tears on his cheeks before returning to hug his otokasan.

“I don't care what anyone says. You are my son and I love you with all my heart!” A fresh wave of tears spilled down Shuichi's face.

Keitaro frowned. He pushed away from Otokasan. “But, Kane said that-!”

Shuichi shook his head and pulled Keitaro back into a hug. “It doesn't matter how bad you are or how bad you become! I will always love you! Just like I love Kane and Kira and Daddy, okay?”

He felt Keitaro nod against him.

“How can I not?” Shuichi continued. “You're my miracles babies, remember?”

Keitaro nodded. He did remember. He had a good memory.

Otokasan and Daddy told him and Kane that before they were born, Otokasan had a “miscarriage”. That meant he lost a baby. Daddy explained that the baby had not been lost, as in misplaced like Kane had misplaced his teddy bear that Uncle Ryu bought for him for Christmas last year, but had died before he could even be born. Then there was a really bad person that had tried to take Otokasan away from Daddy. That part was really sad. He and Kane cried a lot over that. But because the bad guy had not succeeded in taking Otokasan away, he and Kane were able to be born and then Baby Kira five years later.

Giving Keitaro a quick hug, Shuichi sat back and stared into those gorgeous eyes that did not seem real. His face glistened with his tears. Smiling, Shuichi brushed at those tears with his thumb.

Keitaro was feeling much better now. Otokasan said that he loved him! Even when he was bad! His face brightened with a wide, toothy grin.

But…

The smile vanished before it could fully form.

However, this time he had been _really_ bad. He said a bad word. Daddy and Otokasan told him and Kane to never say bad words. When they did, Daddy put really, really, hot, hot sauce on his tongue. It burned his tongue and made him cry. He never wanted to go through that again. Then this morning, he snatched the scissors from Grandma's junk drawer and with a couple of snips, cut off Kane's braid. That had been just as bad as swearing. As punishment, he was grounded. He did not like to be grounded. It was no fun. He could not do anything. But it was worse to think that Otokasan did not like him when he was _really_ bad.

Shuichi saw that dampened expression cross his son's face. “Keitaro? What's wrong?”

“I was bad,” Keitaro explained softly, lowering his eyes back to the floor.

Shuichi tried to school his expression. “What did you do that was bad?” he asked curiously, tying to keep his voice neutral.

Keitaro remained silent.

Shuichi tried another route. “Do you think I would hate you because you were bad?”

Keitaro nodded.

“I told you I would never hate you, remember? It doesn't matter how bad you are.”

“But I was _really_ bad.”

“How bad? Why would I hate you?”

“I lied-ed.”

“You lied? About what?”

“Cutting Kane's hair,” Keitaro mumbled.

Shuichi had to keep himself from shouting and leaping with joy. Finally! “Did you cut your brother's hair?” he asked cautiously. He did not want to pressure or scare the boy into shutting down. He dropped his hands from Keitaro's face to his waist.

Keitaro nodded sadly.

“Why?”

Keitaro said nothing. He just stared at his bare feet against the white floor.

“Were you mad at him?” Knowing the boys, Keitaro probably had been.

Keitaro nodded, but remained silent.

Shuichi sighed heavily. Trying to get Keitaro to speak was like trying to pull teeth. He was definitely his father's son. “Was he bugging you?”

Keitaro nodded.

Ah, yes. That would certainly do it. “And he wouldn't leave you alone?” Shuichi guessed.

Again, Keitaro nodded.

Enough said. Keitaro was like a taut string. Stretch it out enough and it was liable to break.

“You think that by lying about what you did this morning, I wouldn't love you anymore?”

Keitaro nodded.

“Silly!” Shuichi hugged his son to him. “Keitaro, I told you I could never hate you, remember? I love you very, very much. It doesn't matter how bad you are, okay?”

“Really?” Keitaro asked, almost pleading.

“Yes, really,” Shuichi giggled.

Keitaro stood there stupefied for several long seconds before it all sunk in. With an ecstatic cry, the five year old threw himself into Shuichi's arms, hugging him tightly.

Shuichi hugged Keitaro back. “I might not like everything you do, Keitaro, but I could never hate you. Remember that, all right?”

Keitaro nodded against him, his thin arms nearly strangling him.

“And I want you to promise me that you won't ever pull a stunt like this again, okay? If you have a problem with your brother, you come to either Daddy or me, okay”

“'Kay,” Keitaro agreed.

“Good.” Prying those thin, bony arms from around his neck, Shuichi sat back on his hunches, trying to disguise a grimace as pain and discomfort shot through his right leg and along his spine. “Now, why don't you go see what your Daddy and brothers’ are up to, huh?”

Keitaro nodded as he wiped at his tears and runny nose with his hand. “Okay,” he said happily, as he raced out of the bathroom.

Shuichi exhaled a deep breath. He was suddenly very tired. Maybe they should just order in tonight.

“Daddy!” he heard Keitaro shout as the boy pounded through the house.

Shuichi cringed. Daddy's little man, yes, but with Otokasan's lungs.

“'Kasan said he loves me!”

Shuichi giggled.

Seconds later, baby Kira's sharp cries filled the house. Oops. He had been asleep. Shuichi could just picture the vein in Eiri's forehead throbbing, his eye twitching and his teeth clenched. He did not envy his husband in the least.

Sighing, Shuichi's eyes roamed around the bathroom. He took in the shower, the tub, the cupboard where the towels, stool, bucket and other bathroom supplies are kept, the water closet and finally the sink behind him.

Crouched on the floor, his hands dangling between his knees, Shuichi's violet eyes zeroed in on the pink pregnancy test box sitting on the counter and his breath hitched.

Couldn't put it off forever.

Grunting, he pushed to his feet. Suddenly his world tilted. His eyes went wide and everything slowed down. He could feel his heart pounding against his ribcage and the blood gushing in his ears. He caught himself by slapping his hand against the wall between the water closet and the sink. He sighed, breathing deeply as he tried to slow his heart. Opening eyes he did not remember closing, he gasped, startled, and his heart leapt into his throat. Standing at the head of the stairs with a bottle in his hand and staring right at him with “the look” that he knew oh, so well, was Eiri. Involuntarily, Shuichi took a step backward and giggled nervously. “Heh, heh. H-hey, Eiri.”

Eiri glared at him through squinted eyes.  
    
Shuichi could just feel the giant sweat drop on his forehead. Still giggling and feeling more and more nervous, Shuichi felt behind him along the sink for the box he knew was there.

Eiri was watching him like a hawk. Now Shuichi knew what prey felt like…But then again, as he thought back over their relationship, he realized that seemed to be all he was a great deal of the time--not that that was a bad thing. In fact, he quiet enjoyed it, but not right now.

Finally, his hand hit the small, elongated cardboard box. He fumbled around with it until he had a good grip on it. Swinging it around, he held it out towards Eiri and gave the box a few quick shakes. He watched Eiri's eyes shift from his face to the pregnancy test. A veil dropped over Eiri's face and Shuichi could no longer tell what it was he was thinking.

Shuichi inched his way along the counter towards the water closet, his eyes never leaving his husband's face. His hand skimmed along the smooth surface of the wall, bumped across the doorframe to the cool doorknob.

Twisting it, he pulled it open and slipped inside, shutting and locking the door behind him.  
 

* * *

 

Kira had finally fallen back asleep. When Kira woke up earlier, he changed his diapers and rocked him back to sleep. He had just put the mini-Shuichi (AKA Kira) to bed when big mouth mini-him (AKA Keitaro) decided it was a great time to yell at the top of his lungs, which reminded him that Keitaro was also Shuichi's son.

Gently pulling the bottle out of Kira's mouth, he held it out. It was still about half full. He was setting it down on the bed besides him when a cry rang out. Kira stirred in his arms.

Eiri growled lightly. His head shot up as the boys raced down the hall past him, laughing and screaming. “Knock it off,” he growled angrily. He felt Kira jolt in his arms.

Keitaro and Kane's voices dimmed as the vanished down the staircase in a loud clatter. Eiri sighed and shook his head.

Glancing down at Kira, he was relieved to see that the three month old had not woken up. Grateful, Eiri pushed up from the bed and walked over to the crib, gently laying the sleeping Kira down.

Straightening, Eiri watched his son as he slept. His snores filled the quiet of the room. A gentle smile crossed Eiri's face, softening his features. He reached out and ran his knuckle across Kira's cheek. It was warm and flushed. He gave a snort and shook his head at his actions. Pathetic, he thought. When had he become so soft?

Turning, he walked out of the bedroom and shut the door softly behind him. He could hear the boys downstairs. Their laughter and shouts floated up the steps. There was a pounding of feet that grew louder than softer, their voices dimmer. He bet they were trashing the house. Next time they came to Tokyo, they were staying at a hotel. He would rent a whole floor if he had to. Better yet, he could talk to Seguchi about buying a house or something nearby.

He felt a pair of eyes suddenly burning a hole into the side of his head. Turning, he looked straight down the hall and into the bathroom.

“Shuichi?” he called softly, taking a step towards him.

His husband was sitting on the lip of the bathtub, a mixed, unreadable expression on his face. His violet eyes were brimming with tears. His cheeks were damp.

Eiri felt his heart sink when he saw the white applicator in his lover's hand.

 

* * *

 

**The Next Night**

The end of August brought with it warm days and cool nights.

As Shuichi stepped out of the house, closing the shoji door behind him, and onto the porch, he shivered as a chill raced up his spine. Crossing the porch, he sat down besides his husband, letting his legs dangle off the porch and set the baby monitor next to him; he could hear Kira's soft snores filtering over the speaker. Leaning back on his hands, he swung his legs alternately. His feet hit the side of the porch with a “thump-thump”. Sounds of Keitaro and Kane's laughter and splashing in the bathtub floated out of the open bathroom window above them. He hoped their rowdy antics did not wake Kira up who had just fallen asleep.

“Ow,” Shuichi cried suddenly, rubbing his sore thigh, and shooting Eiri an angry glare. “What was that for?” he demanded.

Eiri glared right back at him. “For being annoying.”

“Sor-ry,” Shuichi mumbled, massaging his leg.

A cheer erupted from the house. Shuichi glanced over his shoulder at the house. His parents were watching a baseball game and they tended to be a little rowdy.

Turning back around, he glanced at Eiri's profile. That was the most his husband had said to him in the twenty-four hours since Shuichi had taken the pregnancy test. Shuichi knew his husband wanted another child, but he had not known Eiri had had his hopes up so high.

Eiri had not given up all hope yet. _“It takes, what, a minimum of eight days after conception to get a positive reading?”_ he had asked.

_“I guess.”_

_“Then we'll wait a few more days and try again.”_

Shuichi had been unable to stop himself from asking, _“But what if we get the same answer?”_

_“Keep trying. Practice makes perfect.”_

_“Eiri.”_

_“Can't expect to pass a test if you don't study.”_

Shuichi found himself blushing anew at the hidden meaning behind that sentence.

Eiri had tried to be optimistic, but Shuichi knew his husband better than anyone and knew he was disappointed that they were not pregnant. Shuichi had to be honest. He was just as upset, which was a little surprising because he had been the one against having another baby so soon anyway.

What hurt the most was that it felt as if he had let Eiri down somehow. The guilt he felt over failing his husband was eating him up inside. If Eiri was happy then he was happy and if having another child was what would make Eiri content, then who was he to trample his husband's happiness, especially if he himself admitted just the other night that it was not impossible?

“Eiri?” Shuichi called timidly.

“Hm.”

“Do…Do you hate me?” He almost could not get the words out.

Eiri glared at him through narrowed eyes. His lips were pursed into a thin line. “What kind of stupid asinine question is that?”

“Well,” Shuichi drawled, pushing himself up and drawing his knees to his chest. Bowing his head, he stared at his clasped hands in his lap. “I know how much you want a daughter…”

“Yeah,” Eiri said carefully.

Shuichi's vision blurred behind a sting of tears. “But now I'm sorta ruining things,” he sobbed.

Eiri blinked slowly. “Huh?” This came out flat.

Shuichi turned a face flooded with tears towards Eiri. “We're not pregnant because of me!”

“…You.”

“Yes.”

“…And this is your fault how?”

“Because I'm the one who didn't want a baby,” he wailed, tears pouring down his flushed face.

Eiri sighed. He should have known.

Sniffling, Shuichi rubbed his eyes and then swept the tear tracks away with the heel of his hands. He hiccup-sobbed. Dropping his legs, he ignored the ache and prickling pain jolting through them and twisted his body around so that he was facing his husband on his knees. He searched Eiri's face, trying to get him to understand. “Don't you see?” he cried. “This is all my fault! If I had not been against having a baby, then I might even be pregnant right now! Then you wouldn't hate me and be so miserable!”

Eiri sandwiched Shuichi's face between the palms of his hands. With his thumb, he brushed away the stray tear that trickled down his younger husband's face. “Shu-chan, having a baby is like playing the lottery. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. It has nothing to do with whether you want one or not.”

“But-!”

“No, buts, Shuichi,” he interrupted. He smiled gently at his husband. “Yes, I'm disappointed,” he admitted. “It's disappointing when you get your hopes up only to have them dashed, it‘s--it sucks.” It was not said very eloquent, especially with him being a writer, but spoken word was not his forte, especially when he was trying to comfort his husband. No matter how much of a bumbler he may be at all this mushy stuff, Shuichi always seemed to be able to see right through to the heart of him. He could always understand what he was trying to convey.

Understanding exactly what Eiri had been trying to convey, Shuichi nodded.

Eiri pulled Shuichi to him, embracing him within his iron grip. He felt Shuichi wrap his arms around him and climb onto his lap, straddling him. Eiri pulled Shuichi closer so they were chest to chest.

Everywhere their bodies touched was on fire.

“Yes, I want to have another child with you,” Eiri was saying, “but just because you're not ready does not mean that I hate you, okay?”

Shuichi nodded against Eiri's shoulder, tightening his grip.

“I've told you this countless times in countless ways, Shu-chan.”

Warmth spread through Shuichi at this nickname.

“I can never…” Eiri paused as the words became lodged in his throat. He tried again. “I don't hate you. I can't ever hate you. I…”

Unable to say it aloud, he cupped the back of Shuichi's head, brought his lips to his ear and whispered gently.

Shuichi took a shuttered breath and shivered as he felt Eiri's breath against his ear. His grip in his husband tightly unconsciously.

Taking a deep breath in through his nose, Shuichi stood up on his knees and brought his lips to Eiri's ear just as he had done and whispered back, “I love you, too.” He hugged Eiri. He loved the feeling of being in his arms.

“Besides,” Eiri said, “the test could have been wrong.”

Shuichi frowned. He pulled away and stared at his husband, searching his face for the tiniest hint of what he meant, but that was like trying to keep an ice cube from melting on the sun. “Wha-? But, Eiri, the test-!”  
    
Eiri shook his head. “Just humor me, okay?”

Shuichi was terribly confused, but he loved and trusted Eiri, so he nodded.

With a small smile, Eiri placed a hand over Shuichi's stomach. Shuichi lowered himself down into Eiri's lap and laid his hand over his husband's. Eiri lifted his head, raising his eyes from their joined hands over Shuichi's belly to his face. What he saw brought a gentle, soft smile and a light blush (for which he cursed himself for yet again). Shuichi was looking at him with such utter trust and adoration. With his other hand, he cupped the side of Shuichi's face. “Can you honestly say that you're not pregnant? That you don't feel--different?”

Shuichi searched Eiri's face then dropped his gaze to their hands.

“Remember when you were pregnant with Kira?”

A smile came to Shuichi's face. Lifting his head, he grinned at his husband and nodded. He did remember and not because he had given birth to his son only three months ago. From the very beginning, he had known. He could not explain it, but he had had a strong feeling that he had not been able to shake. Then he had taken a pregnancy test and discovered his intuition had been right.

Eiri returned Shuichi's smile and lowered his head. Their lips met briefly, over lapping. The kiss was alternately shallow, with their tongues flickering and teasing each other, and deep, with their tongues executing a passionate, exotic dance.

Shuichi clutched Eiri's shirt to keep him rooted as their kisses grew into one long sensuous embrace.

“Big brother!”

The lovers flew apart, feeling like children whose was just caught with their hand in the cookie jar as they tried to catch their breaths and calm their racing hearts.

Eiri glanced over Shuichi shoulder and scowled, angry at being interrupted. Shuichi followed his husband's gaze and blushed when he saw Maiko watching them with a twinkle in her eye and a mischievous smile on her face from the back doorway. His face grew warm as he realized they had had an audience. Trying to hide his red face, Shuichi snuggled against his husband, his body heat protecting him against the chilly night air.

“Big Brother, your boys are making a mess in the bathroom,” his sister informed him.  
    
Shuichi groaned. “Damn,” he muttered. Sighing, he sat back and used Eiri's shoulders as leverage as he got to his feet. He tried to mask the grimace that crossed his face as he his leg protested. It did not go entirely unnoticed. Shuichi walked across the porch and into the house.

As he passed Maiko, she whispered, “Nice going, Big Brother,” and winked with a wide toothy grin.

Shuichi's face flamed red hot in embarrassment. “Maiko!”

She just giggled.

Eiri watched his love vanish into the house. He would make sure Shuichi called Dr. Ohtani in the morning, whether he wanted to or not. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, something just was not right. Standing up, he grabbed the baby monitor, walked out in the yard, and glanced back up at the house. “Time to get out of the tub,” he called up to his sons. “Now!”

A chorus of groans rose up.

“Come on!”

“Just a little longer?” pleaded Kane who was standing naked and dripping wet in front of the window.

“No,” Eiri said, shaking his head. “Time to get out. You've been in there long enough.”

“Daddy,” the boy whined.

“Kane.”

“Aw!”

“Otokasan is coming up right now and I'll be up in a bit.”

“Daddy,” called a second voice out the window.

“What?”

“Can, can we watch, uhm…Could we watch a movie?” Keitaro asked timidly.  
    
“We'll see, but you'll have to get out of the tub first.”

“Okay,” the older twin said brightly.

Both boys suddenly vanished from the window.

“'Kasan! Daddy said we could watch a movie,” he heard Kane cry.

With a chuckle, Eiri shook his head and headed towards the house. As he passed his sister-in-law who was still hiding the shadows of the back doorway she said to him, “You're such a good Daddy.”

Eiri was thankful it was dark. “Yeah, well, don't tell anybody. It'd ruin my reputation.”

Maiko giggled as she followed him inside the house, shutting and locking the door behind her.

 

* * *

 

**The Next Day**

Shuichi snapped out of his light daze. “Yes, uhm, I’d like to make an appointment to see Dr. Ohtani please.” He covered his mouth as a yawn overcame him.

“Alright,” replied the chipper, business-like voice.

Shuichi kneaded his eyes with his free hand. Kami-sama, he was tired! His eyes ached. His lids felt like lead weights. He could hardly see straight. The beginnings of a headache throbbed behind his temples. His stomach was churning and executing some intricate high dive maneuvers. He was beginning to feel a little bit lightheaded and dizzy. His head was spinning. His body felt like it had lost its equilibrium. He was not sure if he caught what Eiri had or if the pregnancy test had indeed been wrong. He himself was beginning to get the distinct impression that it was the latter.

Not being able to sleep a wink last night had not helped. Well, that was not exactly true. He had been able to get some sleep, and by “sleep” he was referring to the short bouts that had not been long enough to be considered catnap’s, but he had nevertheless been able to steal throughout the excruciatingly long night he had been forced to experience thanks to his son, the one and only Uesugi-Shindou Kira.

Kira had been so fussy last night. Shuichi had tried feeding him, changing him and even singing to him, which was something that has worked in the past. Then Shuichi tried letting him cry himself to sleep, another trick that usually works, and even burping him thinking he had gas, which has been a problem in the past, but this time none of the usual worked. Not even that expensive, plush cradle swing his parents purchased. In fact, each time they tried to put Kira in it, he started screaming bloody murder. Baby Kira absolutely did not like it. Nope. The only thing that was able to calm his son down in the end was his damned bouncy chair, which had to be manually moved because he could not find any batteries.

His beloved husband had graciously allowed him to deal with Kira while he had the dubious challenge of remaining in bed nice and toasty, comfortable and not to mention asleep!

“The thing is I’m only in town for a few days. Is there anyway I can see Dr. Ohtani before I leave?”

“Let me check,” the woman answered.

He personally did not see what the big deal was. He did not think there was any reason to see Dr. Ohtani. Nearly seven years ago, an accident caused him to become paralyzed from the waist down. The doctors warned him that even though there was a very slight chance of him being able to walk again, he would never again go back to being the same person he was before. It had been nothing short of a miracle that he had come this far in his remission. He understood all that. He did not like it, but had come to accept it. Eiri was just being his overprotective, paranoid self he supposed. A soft smile crossed his face. If it were for Eiri then he would do it.

Shuichi dropped his head back, resting it against the top of the chair and yawned loudly.

“Sir?”

Shuichi snapped back and sat up. “Yes.”

“We have an opening on Monday.” There was a clack of keys and a dim buzz of various noises in the background. “At nine-thirty.”

“Monday, nine-thirty?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Hm.”

There was some more clacking. “The next available day is not for six weeks.”

Six weeks huh? He was not sure how much longer they planned on staying. Both Eiri and he had to get back to work. Kira had a doctor’s appointment in a few weeks, Keitaro and Kane had to get back to school and he really did not want to have to travel all the way back to Tokyo in six weeks just to go to a stupid doctor’s appointment he did not believe was necessary to begin with.

“Monday is fine,” Shuichi decided.

“Alright. Is this for you?”

“Yes it is.”

“And your name?”

“Shuichi. Shindou Shuichi.”

“Okay. We’ll see you on Monday then, Shindou-san.”

“Thank you.”

“Have a nice day.”

There was a click and the line went dead. Shuichi held the phone away from his ear and pressed the talk button, ending the call. Then set the extension down on the table besides his address book and glasses.

Turning in his seat, he rested his elbows on the table and buried his face in his hands. Yawning, he racked his fingers through his hair and sat back up, ghosting his hands over his belly. Was he really pregnant again? He bit back a grin and giggled.

Lifting his head up, his deep violet eyes met the small yellow notebook. Leaning forward, he slipped his glasses on and grabbing his address book, flipped through it until he found the number for Dr. Amano. Picking up the phone, he dialed her number. Closing the address book, he tossed it lightly on the table with a flop as he listened to the phone ring.

He yawned loudly, tears stinging his eyes.

“Parkside Hiroo Ladies Clinic,” came the brisk female voice.

“Yes, is Dr. Amano there please? This is Shindou Shuichi,” he said, rubbing his eye.

“She is in with a patient right now.”

Shuichi’s heart sank. “Could you tell her I called? I need to speak to her about something. It’s important.”

“I will give her the message.”

“Thank you.” He rattled off his parent’s number before ending the call.

Setting the phone down on the table, he slid his glasses off and set them next to the phone. Yawning, he scrubbed his eyes with his knuckles. He was so tired. He hoped Dr. Amano called back soon so he could go to bed. His eyes were so heavy he could hardly keep them open. Slumping over the table, he pressed his index fingers into his temples and squeezed his eyes closed against the headache.

Gasping, he hugged an arm around his middle as a wave of nausea rose through him and moaned.

Distantly, he heard the phone cut through the silence. Opening his eyes, he stared at it as it rung several more times before answering. “Hello,” he said weakly over the line.

“Is Shuichi there? It’s Hiro.”

Shuichi’s mood instantly brightened. “Hey, Hiro,” he cried happily, straightening.

“Hey, Shu,” Hiro greeted a little less enthusiastically then his partner. “What’s going on?”

Shuichi opened his mouth, his free hand fluttering over his flat abdomen, but heard his husband’s voice in his head. “I don’t want you to speak to anyone about this Shuichi,” Eiri had warned him. “Not until we know for certain.” He never knew his husband to be superstitious, but Eiri was right.

Shuichi closed his mouth and wracked his mind for something to say, but he blanked. “Uhm…” He sweated. “Nothing?” He flinched, cursing, as he heard his voice squeak.

In his apartment, Hiro cocked an eyebrow. He pushed farther back into the corner of the couch, his bare toes dangling over the edge of the cushion.

The silence spoke volumes. Shuichi licked his lips and giggled, scooting around on the chair.

“Shu, what’s wrong.” This time it was not a question.

Shuichi sighed heavily, his whole body slumping. “I can’t tell you.”

“So something is wrong.”

Wrong? Shuichi’s eyes widened. “No! No! No!” he denied. “Nothing’s wrong! But,” Shuichi continued, “there is something going on.”

“Are you okay?” his best friend asked, his concern obvious.

Shuichi blushed. “Oh yeah.”

“Good,” the guitarist sighed. “But-.”

Shuichi smiled gently. “Don’t worry,” he reassured his friend. “I’ll tell you when I can. I promise. It’s nothing bad,” he added quickly.

“…Alright Shuichi. If you’re sure.”

A grin spread across his face. His hand covered his belly and his grin widened. “Thanks Hiro,” he said softly. “So,” Shuichi continued, “what’s going on? The boys went to Sanrio Puroland with my parents and Maiko’s kids. Maiko, get this, is out with him.”

“Him” referred to his sister’s husband. She walked in on the rat bastard with another woman. The “rat bastard” actually had the nerve to call the other day. Apparently, he “wanted to talk”. After mulling it over, Maiko decided to see what her so-called husband had to say. All Shuichi wanted was for his baby sister to be happy. Therefore, he wished her the best of luck with whatever she decided to do.

Shuichi yawned loudly, rubbing his tired, aching eyes. He blinked, stretched his eyes wide that were starting to protest.

“Didn’t get any sleep last night?” Hiro teased.

“No. Kira was fussy and refused to settle down and go to sleep. So I had to stay up all night.”

This, if you think about it, might not have been the wisest thing to do, especially if he was pregnant. Stupid Eiri.

“Then my mom said she was taking the boys to the amusement park and then to Palette Town, dragging Dad along and volunteering to take Chiaki and Subaru with them so Maiko could talk to her husband alone.” He took a quick breath. “Then Eiri took Kira and went out earlier to do some shopping, which he has never done once in his entire life and stopping at the corner store for beer and cigarettes does not count, and he had to meet with Mizuki-san for something.” Shuichi scratched his head. “I don’t remember why…Anyway, he said I should get some sleep while I can because when Keitaro and Kane get home I won’t have a moment’s peace, but I had to call and make an appointment to see Dr. Ohtani and then I called Dr. Amano because I had to talk to her about something, but she was in with a patient and I’m waiting for her to call-”

“Dr Amano?”

Shuichi blinked, lost and confused as he was jerked out of his ramblings. “Huh?”

“Why’d you call Dr. Amano? Isn’t she your Obstetrician?”

“Yeah,” Shuichi answered bewildered.

“Why’d you call her?”

Shuichi blinked stupidly. “Because we might be pregnant and…” The rest of what he was going to say rambled off incoherently as he realized, too late, what he just said. “Oh shit,” he cursed. There was silence. “Hiro?” he called tentatively.

“Shu.”

“Y-yeah?”

“You’re pregnant? Again?”

Shuichi whined, mentally kicking himself. Him and his big assed mouth. “Yes…No…”

“Which is it?”

“I don’t know,” Shuichi cried. “But you can’t say anything! Okay? Eiri told me not to say anything to anyone until we knew for sure and he’d-!”

“Don’t worry, Shu,” Hiro interrupted. “I promise not to say anything.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Really really?”

Hiro sighed heavily.

“I’m sorry, Hiro. I just-”

“I know…But.”

“But what?”

“What about Desert Star?”

Shuichi blinked. His mind went blank. “Who?” It was more of a statement than a question.

There was a heavy sigh over the line. “C’mon Shu. Desert Star? The new all girl group that was recently signed to NG?”

“Uhm…” Sounded vaguely familiar.

“The group? That wants Bad Luck to appear on its debut album. The one Suguru is producing?”

The morning finally arrived. “Oh! Yeah!”

“So?”

Again, Shuichi blinked stupidly. “So…what?” he asked blandly.

“So, if you are pregnant, what are you going to do?”

“About what?”

“About singing on Desert Star’s album.”

Shuichi scratched his head. “Well, I don’t know.”

“Do you want to do it?”

“Yes,” Shuichi answered without much thought. He surprised even himself that time. “Yes, I do,” he repeated more firmly.

“Then-?”

“Hiro,” Shuichi continued, riding over his friend’s voice. “You of all people know how much music means to me.”

“I do.”

“It’s my life!”

“I know.”

“It means as much to me as Eiri and my boys. I can’t imagine my life without music.”

“Me, too. Then what’s the problem?”

Shuichi sighed.

“If you want to do it, then what’s the problem? What’s stopping you?”

“Honestly?”

“Hm?”

“Me.”

“You? Why?”

“I’m scared.”

“Scared? Of what? I’ve never known you to be scared of anything.”

Shuichi snorted. You have no idea, he thought.

“Is it the boys?”

“…Partly,” he admitted. Truthfully he has tried not to dwell on the reasons why too much, but Hiro was right. One of the main reasons why he was hesitating so much was because of his boys. He has never been away from them for more than a few hours and it scared the hell out of him to think that if went back into the studio he would have to be away from his family for weeks or possibly months at a time.

“…I know how you feel, Shu.”

Shuichi perked up. “You do?”

“I do. Look, why don’t we do this. We’ll do our parts and then send you the tracks. If you decide you don’t want to do it, then just send them back no questions asked and if you want to be on the track, then I don’t see why you can’t just record your vocals in your studio at home.”

Shuichi had to admit it sounded like a good compromise. It did not take care of all his problems, but it was a start. A smile lit his face. “Alright,” he nodded. “Let’s do it. But… If I am pregnant, I can’t guarantee anything more than that.”

“That’s fine.”

Shuichi’s smile widened. His headache, upset stomach, dizziness and fatigue long since forgotten, plans already started forming in his head.

“Oh by the way.”

“Yeah?”

“Kazahaya’s coming home tonight. His mother’s dropping him off after dinner.”

“Cool! I’ll have to tell the boys when they get back. Maybe we can set up a play date or something.”

“Sounds good.”

Shuichi heard a beep in his ear. He pulled the phone away and looked at it. “I’ve gotta ‘nother call, Hiro.”

“Okay.”

“I’ll call you tonight about the play date.”

“Sounds good.”

“Bye Hiro!”

“Bye Shuichi,” Hiro chuckled.

 

* * *

 

**Fujisaki-Nakano Residence**

In the condominium that he shared with Suguru, Hiro shook his head in mild amusement as he ended the call. Leaning forward, he set the extension on the coffee table. His hand strayed almost automatically to his cigarettes, but his fingers curled into a fist. Pulling his hand back, he sat back. His eyes drifted to the framed photograph hanging on the wall above the television.

It had been taken nearly seven years ago at the Music Channel Video Music Awards. Standing center stage with two gold trophies in his hands was Shuichi. Fujisaki and Michael stood to Shuichi’s left while he, Kei and Kai were on his other side, each holding another trophy.

Hiro let a smile drift across his face. It would be nice to get back into the studio again.

 

* * *

 

**Shindou Residence**

Back in the kitchen of his parent’s house, Shuichi ended his call with Hiro and answered the other line. “Hello?”

“Hello,” came the female voice in his ear. “This is Dr. Amano calling for Shindou Shuichi.”

“Oh! Dr. Amano, hello!” He had nearly forgotten. “This is Shuichi.”

“Hello, Shuichi. Megumi-san said you had something important you had to talk to me about?”

Shuichi’s face grew warm. He sucked his lips inward, suppressing a smile. His chin dropped to his chest. “Yeah,” he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Uhm…”

He heard Dr. Amano sigh.

His face grew warmer, his smile larger. The muscles in his face ached.

“Don’t tell me.”

Shuichi giggled and scratched his head. “Yeah.”

“Alright. We’ll have you come in tomorrow to do a pregnancy test.”

“That’s fine.”

“Good, how about at nine? That way you can be outta here before the clinic opens at ten.”

“Sure. Thank you.”

“Have a nice day, Shuichi-san. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Thanks. Good bye.”

Shuichi ended the call and set the phone on the table. Yawning, he slipped his glasses off and rubbed his eyes with his free hand. Suddenly the adrenaline rush was over and he felt half-dead.

Yawning, he stretched.

Sighing contently, he slumped down in the chair and laced his fingers together, folding them over his belly. A soft smile flittered over his face.

 

* * *

 

A white baby blanket was tented over the baby carrier--that felt like it weighed a ton and a half--to shade Kira from the harsh rays of the early afternoon sun. In his other hand were two plastic bags. Strapped across his chest was the diaper bag and clenched between his teeth were his keys. He felt like a bag lady.

When Eiri topped the steps, he caught sight of a large Manila envelope lying on the porch in front of the door. Curious, he set the carrier and the shopping bags on the porch. Taking his keys out of his mouth, he squatted down and picked up the envelope. “SHINDOU SHUICHI” was printed in large block letters. His brow furrowed in confusion and speculation. He turned the envelope over. Nothing. Frowning, he wiggled his finger under the flap and tore the envelope open. His peered inside. His frown deepened. Reaching inside, he pulled out a piece of paper. Flipping it over, his eyes widened in surprise.

“What the-!”

He was looking at a photo of Shuichi with a comatose Kane cradled in his arms speaking to a devastated Maiko in the parking lot of the Ozaki Funeral Home. He remembered Shuichi saying something about seeing a paparazzo outside the funeral parlor, but he had not thought any more about it. Was this connected to it or was it something all together different?

“What the hell is this?”

 

**…To Be Continued…**


	7. Journeying Through Wonderland While A Watcher Watches

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inserted: “About Us” by Brooke Hogan
> 
> A/N: For those who were waiting, Riku makes his first appearance!

**Chapter 7:Journeyng Through Wonderland While a Watcher Watches**

**Three months later - November - Nara, Japan**

The beats of the pop song pounded over the speakers, filling the studio with the sweet melodious voices of the new all girl group “Desert Star”.

**I see your lips moving but I don't hear nothing**   
**Everybody talking like they really know something about us**   
**But they don't know nothing about us**   
**I see your lips moving but I don't hear nothing**   
**Everybody talking like they really wanna know something about us**   
**But they don't know nothing about us**

His head bopping with the music flowing over the speakers in the soundproofed studio his husband had built for him at the back of their property in Nara, Shuichi pushed the black leather swivel chair away from the desk and slouched down, situating his rapidly expanding girth so that he was comfortable and stretched his short legs out in front of him. He crossed his ankles and folded his hands over his rounded stomach. Leaning his head against the back of the high backed chair that Eiri had bought for him the other day, he lightly closed his eyes and let the voices of the four girls singing in harmony flow through him.

**I'm just trying to live but you’re all up in my grill**   
**How's a girl to breathe with all the media starring down my mouth**   
**With a four-inch lenz I just wanna hit the mall with some of my friends**

Desert Star consisted of three girls. There was Aiko, aged 17, Tori, aged 18 and Naho, aged 19. Unlike other groups out there, Desert Star did not have a “leader”, a member that stood out above the rest--like Justin Timberlake from NSYNC, Diana Ross from The Supremes, Beyoncé from Destiny’s Child and Nicole Scherzinger from the Pussy Cat Dolls. Desert Star refused to be played that way. Each girl was as equal as the next. In a way, it reminded him of Bananarama, an all girl group from the eighties, and he liked that. The girls sang in perfect harmony. Their voices blended seamlessly as the remake of “About Us“ filled the studio.

**Picture yourself up in my shoes**   
**Top story in the news**   
**Everyday it’s…**

Shuichi was jerked out of his semi-meditative state by the sudden vibration against his leg. With a startled gasp, he flew up and fumbled with his cellphone in the front pocket of his oversized hoodie. Flipping it open, he pressed the green send button and brought it to his ear. “Hello,” he whispered breathy into the phone. He reached for the mouse and stopped the playback. Blissful silence filled the studio.

“Hey, Shu,” came the familiar voice over the line.

“Hey Hiro” he cried, feeling elated at the sound of his best friends voice. “What’s up?”

“Nothing. Just thought I’d check in and see how you’re doing.”

With a huge smile plastered on his face, Shuichi sat back and swiveled around to gaze at the various awards, honors and the Gold and Platinum album and single plaques Bad Luck had received throughout their illustrious career that were hanging on the wall around the studio.

“You mean aside from being pregnant with triplets?”

Hiro chuckled. “Something like that.”

Shuichi rubbed his belly. “Well, other than having gained about fifteen pounds and outgrowing all my clothes, having severe nausea and morning sickness, dizzy spells, insomnia, mood swings, acne, which I’ve never had before,” he added, “freckles just suddenly appearing from out of nowhere, my hair changing color, my chest-”

“I get it,” Hiro interrupted quickly.

Shuichi blushed. He hadn’t meant to go off like that.

“Actually,” Hiro was saying, “I was wondering if you heard from Sakuma-san?”

Shuichi frowned, drawing a blank.

“He was supposed to drop of the tracks-?”

“Oh, yeah! Yeah, he stopped by the other day,” Shuichi answered with a nod. “I was just listening to them.”

“What you think?” Hiro prodded when Shuichi said nothing more than that.

Shuichi shrugged. Spinning back around, he stared at the computer screen. “It’s pretty good.”

“Yeah. They have promise.”

“Seguchi-san wouldn‘t have signed then otherwise.”

“So…?”

“It could use a little tweaking.” Shuichi could almost hear Hiro deflate. “I’ll be sure to send you my suggestions.”

Hiro sighed heavily over the line.

Grinning, Shuichi crossed his free arm over his belly. He knew exactly what his long time friend wanted to hear, but decided to play with him a little more. “So, how’s everything with you?” he asked, deliberately changing the subject.

“Fine.”

That did not sound very convincing. Shuichi frowned, his smile vanishing like a ship into the night. “What’s wrong?” he demanded to know. He dropped his arm and sitting forward as much as he could, resting his elbow on his knee.

There was another sigh. “Kaze-kun came home the other day from visiting his mother.”

Since Ayaka-san had decided to move back in with her parents after she and Hiro divorced, the boys were able to see their friend whenever he came up to visit his mother.

“And apparently she’s getting married.”

Shuichi sat in stunned silence. “I didn’t know she was seeing anyone.”

“Yeah,” Hiro agreed. “Apparently he’s someone her folks set her up with.”

Shuichi cocked an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yep.”

“Wow.”

“They seem to have hit it off.”

Shuichi was not too sure about going on a blind date with someone his parents set him up with.

“Kaze-kun said he’s a lawyer.”

Shuichi raised an eyebrow at that. “A lawyer? Fan-cy.”

Hiro snorted. “Yeah and get this.”

“Huh?”

“It seems that Mr. Lawyer is also a monk.”

“Of course.” Knowing the Usamis, it was not very surprising. They hadn’t approved of their little girl’s involvement with the lead guitarist from Bad Luck and besides, they had originally arranged for her to marry Eiri, who happens to be a Buddhist monk.

“Apparently his family used to run a temple.”

“’Used to’?”

“Yeah, it became severally run down after his grandfather got sick and was forced to shut it down.”

“What happened to his parents? Why didn’t they take care of the temple?”

“Don’t know.”

“Huh.” Shuichi shrugged it off. “How long have they being dating?”

“Just a few months.”

Shuichi was aghast. “And they’re already engaged?”

“Seems like Ayaka’s parents are really pushing this.”

“Wow,” Shuichi breathed. “I guess so.” He really had no right to judge them. He and Eiri had not known each other that long when they moved in together.

As his butt was beginning to get numb and his legs were starting to get restless, he pushed out the chair with an exaggerated grunt.

“Are you okay with that?” he asked his friend gently. He knew that despite what had happened between the pair, Hiro still harbored some feelings for his ex-wife.

Silence.

“Hiro?”

More silence.

“You were together a long time. I mean just because you had your problems and you fell in love with Fujisaki, doesn’t mean that-”

“’Were’ together, Shu,” Hiro corrected him softly. “It ended a long time ago.” His voice sounded thick and did not sound like his own. “Even if things had been different between Ayaka and me…even if being thrown into the spotlight like she had had not been such a burden on her and to our relationship…things just…they would not have…ended any differently.”

“…Because of Fujisaki?” Shuichi asked softly.

Again, more silence.

“Hir-”

“It doesn’t matter anymore, Shuichi. It’s all in the past. What’s done is done.”

His friend sounded tired.

“Anyway,” Hiro continued, changing the subject. “I still can’t believe you’re having triplets,” he exclaimed, his mood doing a complete one-eighty.

Shuichi snorted. His free hand fluttered to his little bump. A smile softened his face. “You can’t believe it? How’d you think I felt when Dr. Watabe did the initial ultrasound and let us listen to the baby’s heartbeat four weeks ago only to discover that we had two little stowaway’s that had not been on the manifest?”

“I can’t even imagine.”

Shuichi scratched his head. “I mean, we had our suspicions.”

“Yeah.”

“I mean my clothes suddenly did not fit when I was only six weeks along, right? My morning sickness and being so exhausted all the time was just like it was when I was pregnant with Keitaro and Kane, but still…”

“You’d never guess you’d have multiple multiple pregnancies.”

“Right!”

“Didn’t you say Yuki-san fainted when the doctor told you guys?”

Shuichi chuckled. “Yep.” He still teased his husband about that.

“Tell me you know what you’re having.” It sounded like he was pleading.

Shuichi sighed heavily. “Unfortunately not.”

“How far along are you now?”

“About nineteen weeks.”

“Shouldn’t you have some idea by now?”

Shuichi sighed. “Normally, but Dr. Watabe couldn’t determine their sex on our last couple of visits.”

“Why not?”

“Well, every time he tried, they just…well, they’re deliberately trying to keep us in the dark. I swear to God.”

Hiro snickered. “Sounds like they take after their daddy.”

Shuichi giggled. “That’s what I said! Dr. Watabe believes they may be boys, but he’s not sure.”

“Hm. Do you know if they’re identical? I mean, can they tell?”

“Oh, yeah. Sure, they can. They can do an ultrasound to see whether there are one or two placentas. If there’s one placenta, they're identical. If there’re two placentas, they could either be fraternal or identical.”

“Do you know whether they‘re identical or fraternal?”

Shuichi scratched his head. “Well, two of them are definitely identical, but we’re not sure about the third one. Oh! Did I tell you that Dr. Watabe was surprised to hear from me again?”

“Yeah,” Hiro chuckled. “I’d imagine so. You don’t have any suspicions?” he asked. “I know that Yuki-san wants a girl?”

“It’d be nice to have a girl.”

“You know she’s going to be spoiled, don’t you? If you do have a girl.”

“Yeah, I know.” Shuichi knew his best friend long enough to know when the man was fishing, but he honestly had no idea what the genders of the babies were. He’d read this prediction chart on the internet the other week that used the month of conception and the age of the mother to predict whether it was going to be a boy or a girl. The chart told him he was going to have a boy. “You know I told Eiri that this was it.”

“Yeah?”

“No more after this. Girl or no girl.”

“What he say?” Hiro asked with amusement.

Shuichi scratched his head. “He didn’t really say anything. Just grunted.”

Hiro chuckled.

“I said that if he did get me pregnant again-“

Hiro snorted to that. Knowing those two, it was a distinct possibility.

“-we’d have to move into a bigger house, or build an addition or something.”

Hiro laughed.

Shuichi giggled.

“Oh! Speaking of which, didn’t you take the boys to New York a few weeks ago?”

“Oh, yeah!”

“How was it?”

“Oh my God, Hiro. The boys absolutely love Halloween!”

“That’s good. I’d like to take Kaze-kun sometime. I think he might enjoy it.”

“Oo! Oo! You can come with us next year!”

“I’d have to talk with Ayaka and Kazehaya and Fujisaki, but that’s not such a bad idea.”

“Cool! By then Kira should be old enough to participate.” He giggled. “We dressed him up as a little devil. He was sooo cute!”

Hiro nearly chocked. “A devil?”

Shuichi giggled. “He had on this red velvet bodysuit with black wings and horns (1). Oh, Hiro! You should’ve seen him! He was so adorable!”

“Whose idea was that?” Hiro asked, chuckling.

“Uhm.” Shuichi scratched his head. “Not sure.”

“What about Kane and Keitaro?”

“Keitaro was a Reaper Gauze Child and Kane–“

“He was what?” Hiro asked in confusion.

“A reaper gauze child,” Shuichi repeated slowly. “He was dressed up in this black hooded robe with a rope tied around his waist, and he had this gauze tatter over-robe that looked like cobwebs. We made him up with white face paint and long black nails and these black Goth boots…!” (2) He shuddered. “He looked kinda creepy.”

Hiro chuckled softly. “What about Kane?”

“Kane was Dr. Darkness. He had on a black robe and hood with cowl neckline. His face was painted white and his eyes were all black.” (3)

“Dr. Darkness, huh?”

“Yeah. He couldn’t decide what to be so he had Eiri chose a costume for him.”

“And Yuki-san chose Dr. Darkness?”

“Yep.” Shuichi’s feet were beginning to ache from standing so he walked across the room to the sofa and sunk down gratefully onto it. “He couldn’t decide between Harry Potter and a Buddhist monk.”

“A monk?”

“Yeah.”

Hiro did not know what to say to that. “Has he shown any interest in that?”

Shuichi switched the phone to the other ear. “Sorta. He’s been asking questions ever since he found out that Daddy’s a monk just like Grandpa.”

“Cool. I guess.”

“Mm.”

“So, did you dress up?” he teased.

Shuichi blushed hotly. “Eiri wanted me to put on a straight jacket.”

Hiro toss his head back and laughed hard. “Did you?”

“Of course not!”

“Then what did you dress as?”

Shuichi face flamed in embarrassment.

“Shu?”

The singer mumbled something behind a convenient cough.

“What?”

“I was…Frank N. Furter (4),” Shuichi repeated himself, his embarrassment growing. He wished he had not said anything. “Ya know, from-”

“Rocky Horror Picture Show,“ Hiro finished. “Yeah. It’s my brother’s favorite movie.”

Shuichi was so embarrassed he could die.

“You didn’t, ya know, in public?”

“Of course not!” Shuichi snapped. “After--the boys went to bed,” he mumbled.

“…What about Yuki-san?”

“He wasn’t going to dress up, but then the boys ganged up on him and talked him into it so he decided to dress as a Victorian vampire, but then he changed his mind because he just couldn’t be bothered with something so tedious so he dressed in all black, ya know, black slacks, black shirt, this long black trench coat and his sunglasses and claimed he was Neo.”

“From the Matrix?”

“Yeah.”

“So, basically, he didn‘t bother dressing up,” Hiro assumed.

With a sigh, Shuichi slouched down on the couch, practically sinking into the overstuffed cushions and rested his head against the back. He closed his suddenly aching eyes. “Pretty much.” A yawned seized him, making his eyes water.

“Tired?” Hiro asked him softly.

“Hm, getting there,” Shuichi mumbled.

“Did you see Riku while you were over there?”

“Yeah,” Shuichi said, suddenly feeling drained. “He was with us the entire time we were over there.”

“Did he dress up?”

“Eiri said he was getting too old to go trick or treating.”

“But did he dress up?”

“Oh yeah. He was all Goth.”

Hiro chuckled. “What did he say about Mama being pregnant again?”

Shuichi chuckled. “He was like, ‘Again?’!”

Hiro laughed at the perfect imitation of his friend’s adopted son.

“But he seems okay with it. A little weirded out, but otherwise he was ecstatic.”

“Well, that’s good.”

“Yeah. He said, ‘I’m not sharing my room though!’”

“Is he going to have to?” Hiro asked, chuckling.

Shuichi shook his head. “No. Besides, even if we have to do some rearranging, Riku is too old to be sharing a room.”

“How old is he now?” Hiro asked curiously.

“Uhm…Oh, God! Twenty-two?”

“Twenty-two?” the guitarist repeated in shock.

“Yeah! Can you believe that? It kinda freaked me out when I remembered just how old the kid was getting.” It made Shuichi feel old.

“Jeeze. He’s going to school there in the States, right?”

Shuichi nodded. “Yeah. He was staying with Yoshiki, but for his birthday last year, Eiri bought him a condo.”

Hiro choked. “A condo?”

Shuichi grinned at the reaction. “Yeah, so we have some place to stay when we’re in New York.”

“Oh. I was going to say.”

Shuichi chuckled.

“He’s going to NYU, right?”

“Yep. He’s getting his BA in East Asian Studies with a minor in Creative writing.”

“Wow.”

“He’s thinking of going on to get his Master’s and then on to a doctorate.”

“Really?” Hiro exclaimed feeling pleasantly surprised. “Is he thinking of teaching, or-?”

“Yeah, he is.”

“…How does Yuki-san feel about that?” He asked carefully.

“Oh, he’s proud of his son.”

“Good. Well, wish him luck for me.”

“He’s coming home for Christmas so you can tell him then.”

“Cool. Hey,” Hiro said suddenly, “wasn’t he supposed to come home this summer?”

“Yeah,” Shuichi sighed. “Unfortunately he didn’t do too well in a couple of his classes and decided to retake them over the summer. Besides, with a minor he’s falling a little behind.”

“Ah, okay. So when will he be graduating?”

“This spring.”

“Already?”

“Uh, huh.”

“Jeeze, I feel old.”

Shuichi snickered.

“Oh! Before I forget, did you ever get those test results back from your biopsy?”

“Wha-?” His mind blank at the abrupt change of subject, Shuichi blinked. “Oh!” he cried in suddenly understanding. “Yeah. I got them back a while ago. I thought I told you.”

“No.”

“Oh, well, you know how the nerves in my leg were damaged?”

“Yeah.”

“Apparently they hadn’t completely regenerated. That’s why my legs have been giving me so much trouble.”

“Is there anything they can do?”

Shuichi heaved a sigh. He stared up at the ceiling. “Surgery.”

“What will it do?”

Shuichi scratched the back of his head. “He said something about reattachment and sewing something together and something about grafting.”

“What are your chances?”

“50/50.”

“Hm. Are you going to do it?”

“I’m not sure. If I do decide to have the surgery, Eiri said I should wait until after the triplets are born.”

“Sure. Sure.”

“In the meantime the doctor told me I could try taking intramuscular B complex injections,” he said slowly. He cringed and shuddered violently.

“…You’re giving yourself shots,” Hiro said incredibly.

“Me? Hell no! I go to the doctor’s to have it done.”

Hiro chuckled. “Isn’t there anything else you can do? Other than the surgery and shots?”

“Acupuncture.” Shuichi cringed again.

“…Acupuncture.” Hiro chuckled. “You gonna do it?”

“Are you crazy?! No way in bloody hell.”

Hiro continued chuckling. “Is there any alternative where you don’t have to stick a needle into you?”

Shuichi dropped his head, as his face grew warm. “Actually. Yeah,” he answered softly, blushing madly.

“And?”

“Massages.”

“Reeally,” Hiro sang slyly.

Shuichi face grew warmer.

Suddenly the studio door burst open. Startled, Shuichi gasped in fright. His head snapping up and around, he stared at the door with his heart in his mouth as his husband’s blond head came around the corner. He sighed in relief. With a hand over his racing heart, he glared across the studio at Eiri. “Dammit, Eiri!” he scolded.

“Let’s go.”

“Already?” Shuichi asked. He glanced at the clock and was shocked to see how late it was.

“Yes, already,” Eiri said.

“I gotta go Hiro.”

“Alright.”

“We gotta go pick up the boys from school and then I have a doctor’s appointment.”

“Call me if you find out the sex of the babies.”

“Will do.”

After exchanging goodbyes, Shuichi flipped his phone shut and slid it into the front pocket of his hoodie. With growing difficulty, he slid to the lip of the sofa and pushed himself off. Walking across the studio, he went through the process of shutting down the computer then went up his husband who had an impatient frown on his face and wrapped his arms around his husband’s waist and smiled up at him.

Eiri glanced down at him indifferently. “What?”

Shuichi’s smile widened. He shook his head, his eyes sparkling.

Eiri’s face softened. Snorting, he bent over, planted a kiss on Shuichi’s head, and swatted his bottom.

Shuichi yelped and sent him a mock death glare.

“You ready to go or what?”

“In a minute. I wanna go change my clothes and I have to go to the bathroom.”

Eiri sighed heavily. “Must you?”

Shuichi rose up onto the tips of his toes and pressed his lips to his husbands. “Yep,” he told him.

With a roll of his eyes, Eiri shook his head.

Giggling, Shuichi looked around the studio one last time to make sure he had everything and everything was shut down, making a mental note to come back later to give this place a thorough scrubbing.

“Let’s go,” he heard Eiri bark distantly.

“Coming! Coming!” Shuichi called after his retreating husband’s back as he stepped out of the studio. He shut the door behind him, making sure the latch caught and then locked it. The shifting of the tumblers reassured him. Eiri had gotten on his case lately about keeping the studio locked. He shivered as the cool November wind wrapped around him. He looked up into the overcast sky as he walked across the yard towards the house. The temperature had dropped quite a bit since earlier. Then he remembered something about it snowing this evening.

As he mounted the steps of the porch, he looked around for his husband, for he had not seen him go into the house, and found him out by the front gate checking the mail. It must have come because he had a thick wad of white envelopes of various sizes in his hand. Eiri bent over and looked inside the mailbox, probably seeing if he had missed anything, Shuichi guessed. When Eiri straightened back up, Shuichi saw him pulling out a large manila envelope, uncurling like a tongue as it slid out. Shuichi frowned, his eyebrows drawn in confusion and curiosity. He glanced from the envelope to his husband’s face. He saw something flash across Eiri’s face, but it was gone so quickly that Shuichi had not had enough time to discern what it had been.

As if sensing that he was being watched, Eiri’s head snapped up. They locked eyes. Neither said anything for several long minutes. Then Shuichi’s ear perked. With much difficulty, he tore his eyes away from his husband’s hypnotic golden ones and glanced through the open door and up the staircase. Kira was up. Turning around, he glanced at his husband. Eiri had a neutral expression on his face. His frown deepening, Shuichi glanced at the large yellow envelope in Eiri’s hands one last time before disappearing into the house, all the time wondering what exactly was in that envelope that would cause Eiri to react like he did. Was it something that he did not want him to see?

 

* * *

 

**Later that Night**

The sultry voices of the teenaged trio of girls that made up the new pop band signed recently to NG Productions flowed from the small white earbud plugged into Shuichi’s left ear. The other one hung loosely down his chest, swinging freely like a pendulum as he bopped his head and tapped his pen against his notebook to the beat of the song.

**“I see your lips moving but I don't hear nothing/Everybody talking like they really know something about us/But they don't know nothing about us,”** the girls of Desert Star sang into his ear.

Blindly, he ran his thumb over the sleek white iPod nano and skipped back to the beginning of the song. As the opening music began, the pitter-patter of little feet stampeding towards him was clearly heard. Knowing it had been too good to be true; Shuichi stopped the playback and set the iPod down on the notebook next to his pen. He pulled out the earbud from his ear and gathering the cords, piled them on the notebook.

“What’re you up to?” he asked his ashen-haired son as the six-year old stopped outside the baby gate.

“Nothing,” the boy answered as he jumped on the press pedal that opened the gate.

They had only recently installed the baby gates throughout the house because Kira, at six months, was at the beginning stages of learning how to crawl. All he had to do was learn to stand on his hands and knees and then go forward and not backwards and then Kira would be running them all ragged. Shuichi dreaded that day, especially because when that day finally arrived, he would most likely be confined to bed.

“You finish your homework?”

“Uh, huh,” came the reply as the boy raced across the room and jumped onto the couch besides his otokasan.

“Where’s Kei?”

“Reading,” Kane answered with a yawn.

Shuichi reached out and ruffled his son’s hair, smiling sweetly. “Tired?”

Kane shook his head in denial.

The singer giggled lightly as Kane rubbed his eyes with his knuckles. Reaching out, Shuichi swept aside his drowsy son’s bangs. “Why don’t you ask Daddy about giving you and Kei a bath?”

“Okay,” Kane obeyed as he scooted off the couch and out of the living room.

Shuichi opened his mouth to call after his son to close the gate, which both he and his twin brother tended to leave open, but decided against it seeing Kira had been put to bed half an hour ago.

Glad to have some peace and quiet once again, Shuichi got himself settled comfortably on the couch and reached for the TV remote but his hands flew to his belly instead. “Ah!” he gasped. He sat back against the cushion, breathing heavily. His wide-eyed, startled expression softened. Violet eyes sparkled joyfully. He bit back a smile, his cheeks flushed in excitement. Giggling, tears stung his eyes as he rubbed a hand over his belly. Swaying, Shuichi hummed a little tune. Hugging his unborn children, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the top of the couch.

 

* * *

 

The night airbrushed up against him, nuzzling its cold, wet nose affectionately across his face. Tipping his head back, he blew a stream of smoke into the clear, bitter night. He flicked the elongating stand of ashes over the side of the patio. Leaning up against the railing, the slight breeze fingering his dirty blond hair into his golden hazel eyes, he gazed out over the bare trees and the small studio he built for his husband at the stars glistening like tiny pricks of light in the endless night.

Behind him, he heard the two panel white French doors that led into the breakfast nook and the kitchen burst open. In the silence of the night, it sounded like an explosion. Pushing away from the railing, Eiri turned and watched his son stomp out onto the patio, the portable phone extension in his hand.

“Daddy!” Kane cried, racing towards him.

“What?” Eiri asked blandly.

“R-Riku said…!”

“Uh, huh,” the writer prodded.

“He said that when he, when he comes home…?”

“Yeah.”

“…he’ll take Keitaro and me Christmas shopping!”

“He will huh?”

Kane nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! Can he? Can he?” the boy pleaded, bouncing on his toes.

Eiri shrugged. Clamping his cigarette between his lips and reaching for the phone, he told his son, “We’ll see.”

“Okay!”

He heard his adopted son’s chuckles over the phone.

“Can you take me a bath now?”

Eiri cocked n eyebrow at the boy’s ill grammar. “Yes, I’ll ‘take’ you a bath now.”

“Ya!”

“Go on up. I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Okay!” Kane handed his father the phone then turned tail and vanished inside the house, stopping long enough to make sure the door was firmly shut behind him.

Eiri smiled, shaking his head in amusement. Sighing, he held the phone to his ear. “Alright. I gotta go give the brats a bath.”

“Okay,” his son replied from the other side of the planet. “Ugh! I’ve gotta go to class anyway,” he grumbled.

Eiri scoffed at his son’s dejected tone. There were three more weeks until the semester ended and Riku was acting like a child who did not want to go to bed.

Riku sighed heavily over the phone. “School sucks,” he complained.

“There’s only three weeks left, Riku.”

“I know,” the college student agreed, “but I got two five page papers I need to write for Monday and three seven to ten page papers due by December fifteenth…” Riku sighed again. “I wish it was over already.”

It was Eiri’s turn to sigh. Kids, he thought. He cannot just be proud of the fact that he was one of the first in their family to even go to college, let alone as an exchange student in New York. No, he has to bitch and moan about every little thing just like his mama.

Riku cursed silently. “I gotta go. I’m going to be late.”

“Alright…hey!” Eiri called, crushing his cigarette butt in the empty coffee can.

“Yeah?”

“Make sure you call Shuichi.”

“I will,” Riku sighed.

Eiri could picture him rolling his eyes. “And you better look into-“

“I know,” Riku interrupted impatiently. “I know.”

“Riku,” Eiri warned

“I am! There’s a couple I’m looking into.”

“Well, you better hurry and decide. The longer you procrastinate-“

“I know! Jeeze!”

“Riku, I’m just saying-“

“I’ll book a flight to Osaka this weekend and email you the flight details, okay?”

Seeing as Nara was situated almost equidistant between Osaka and Kyoto, it really did not matter whether Riku’s flight took him to Kansai International Airport in Osaka or to Kyoto. As long as he made it home for Christmas and New Years, that was all Eiri asked.

“Good. Make sure you do. The boys and Shuichi really miss you.”

“Awe,” Riku cooed.

“And I,” Eiri smirked, “can use your help around the house now that the brat’s pregnant.” His smile widened when he heard Riku grumble. He chuckled lightly.

“Oh! Speaking of which…!”

“Hm?”

“Do you know yet?” Riku asked eagerly.

Eiri dropped his brow in confusion. “Know what?”

“The gender!”

“What gender?”

Riku sighed in disgust. “The babies! Do you know what gender the babies are?”

“Oh!” Eiri’s eyes sparkled

“Mama said two of them were definitely identical?”

“Yep.”

“And! And!” Riku was at the edge of his seat.

Eiri smirked, letting the silence linger.

Riku groaned impatiently.

His son inherited this trait from Shuichi. Eiri was glad that their son had at least inherited his brains.

Eiri chuckled lightly under his breath. He was having so much fun teasing Riku, just because he made it so easy.

The writer heard his eldest son growl irately. “Da~ad!” the college student whined.

“Wha~at?” Eiri mocked.

“Are they boys? Or girls?” Riku repeated.

“Yep,” the romance author smirked.

“…Uh…what?” came the confused reply.

Suddenly slicing through the stillness of the night came a muffled yell from the house. Holding the phone away from his mouth, he glanced over his shoulder at the house.

“What was that?” his son asked.

“Kane,” Eiri answered.

Moments later, the back door opened and Shuichi poked his head out into the chilly night air. He shivered violently in reaction. “Hey! Da~ddy,” Shuichi called.

“What?”

“The boys are waiting for you to give them a bath.”

“Huh?” He blinked stupidly. “Oh, yeah.” He had nearly forgotten. “I’ll be in in a sec.”

“Okay,” Shuichi replied. He disappeared back into the house, firmly closing the back door behind him.

Eiri lifted the phone back to his ear and turned to stare out over the back yard. Movement in the shadows caught his attention and raised his suspicion. “Hold on a sec, Riku,” he told the boy in distraction.

“Sure.”

Dropping his arm to his side, he stepped towards the stairs that led out into the yard and stared fixedly at the far end of the yard, but he could not make out anything in the near black void beyond the studio. Squinting, he tried to penetrate the seemingly endless abyss. He took another step forward, allowing his eyes to adjust to the lightless expanse. He started, swallowing a yelp, when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye within the shadows. Someone was out there. A thought entered his mind. Could it be…?

He brought the phone up and without taking his eyes from the shadow filled corner where he had seen movement not a second before, told his son he had to go--that something came up--and that he would call him back later. Without waiting for or hearing Riku’s reply, if he made any, Eiri ended the long distance phone call and walked across the back lawn with the phone gripped tightly in his hand. He was not sure what he expected to find or what good the phone could be if he happened upon the intruder, but he continued onward anyway, determined to put an end to this nonsense once and for all.

 

* * *

 

**New York City**

In the moderately sized condominium not far from NYU that his parents paid for and furnished, Riku stared down at the phone in his hand in bewilderment. What had that been about?

Shaking his head, he thumbed the phone off and set the extension in the cradle on the counter. Reaching for his mug, he took a sip of the coffee he’d poured half an hour ago and grimaced. Cold. Hopping off the stool, he carried the mug to the sink. Pouring the brown liquid down the drain, he turned the faucet on and washed the mug in the warm water then set it upside down on the dish rack to dry. Grabbing the dishrag lying neatly besides the sink, he dried his hands as his eyes roamed about the condominium. Refolding the towel, he tossed it lightly back onto the counter and exited the kitchen into the living room, pushing the stool under the counter on his way.

Rounding the coffee table, he reached for the remote. His brow burrowed in thought.

_“Are they boys? Or girls?” Riku repeated impatiently._

_“Yep,” the romance author smirked._

If the triplets Mama was carrying were both boys and girls--as his father had so graciously confirmed--then it looked as if his father was going to have the daughter he always wanted or daughters if it turned out the twins were the girls.

Chuckling, Riku sat down on the sofa, remote in hand, thinking about how strange it was for him, a senior in college, to have six-year-old twin brothers, a six-month-old brother and three more siblings on the way. He was old enough to be their father.

God forbid.

Now that was a scary thought: him with kids. He was pretty sure that Shuichi would not mind becoming a grandfather, but Riku was positive Eiri would kill him. While he would like to get married and have children of his own some day, that day was not in his immediate future. After he graduates in May with his BA in East Asian Studies and a minor in Creative Writing, he planned on going to graduate school to get his Master’s degree and then possibly go on to earn his Doctorate. Marriage and having a family just did not fit into any of that. Then again, things happen. You never know just what the future may bring.

With his thumb on the red power button, Riku pointed the remote at the television. Out of habit, he sought out the clock sitting on the corner bookcase. He blinked stupidly at the red numbers glaring back at him, unable to comprehend what he was looking at. As the numbers changed, Riku blinked long and slow.

“8 o’clock,” he read aloud in an even tone. He gasped loudly in panic, his eyes going wide. “Fuck!” he cursed soundly. Riku tossed the remote control aside. “I’m gonna be late!” Scrambling off the couch, he raced across to the front door, swiping his bag off the floor by the island counter on the way. Swinging the door wide, the college student vanished out of the apartment, slamming the door shut behind him.

The studio was left in empty silence.

Moments later, the door burst open and a panting Riku stepped inside. His spiky hair was mussed, his face flushed and his clothing askew. Setting his book bag down on the floor, he grabbed his sneakers that were sitting neatly besides the door along the wall and as he tried to stuff his feet into them without untying the laces, he grabbed his bag and rushed out, shutting the door behind him, the whole time muttering angrily to himself.

 

* * *

 

**Shindou-Uesugi Residence - Nara, Japan**

With the phone held lightly but securely in his hand, Eiri stepped onto the patio. He rested his free hand on the newel and glanced over his shoulder. The backyard was still, but most of all it was empty. The writer’s golden eyes scanned the shadow-strewn yard trying to scrutinize the darkness. He was not sure what he had expected to find, but after a quick search of the backyard turned up nothing, he was not as relieved as he knew he should be. Maybe he was being paranoid. On the other hand, maybe he was just being cautious. What he did know was that after receiving surveillance photos anonymously in the mail of his family for the past three months, he was not going to be able to rest easy until the culprit behind these incidents was caught. With a frown, he looked over the yard one last time before crossing the patio to the back door.

He grabbed the polished brass door handle and swung open the door, but then an uneasy feeling came over him. He glanced out into the backyard suddenly feeling as if he were being watched. Though he could see nothing in the darkness the night created, he could feel eyes on him from somewhere out there.

He had to remember to talk to Seguchi in the morning about having motion sensor lights installed. They already had security cameras stationed around the house and grounds and had one of the best security systems, but the addition of the lights would be an added benefit, especially after what he received in the mail this afternoon. It was also probably why he was so jumpy. Unfortunately, there was not much more he could do tonight. All he could do was wait and see what tomorrow brings. Frustrated and annoyed, Eiri gave the yard one final glance before stepping into the house and shutting the door firmly behind him.

 

* * *

 

A figure appeared from out of the shadows at the far corner of the yard. A face hidden within the veiled confined of a hoodie lifted and turned to glance at the darkened house. Hardened eyes flashed. A low snarl emanated from within the shadows. Taking a step backwards, the figure melted into the shadows.

 

**…To Be Continued…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Kira’s costume: buycostumes.com/pint-size-devil-infant-costume/34501  
> 2\. Reaper Gauze Child: buy costumes.com/reaper-gauze-child-costume/11495  
> 3\. Dr. Darkness: Halloween mart.com  
> 4\. Frank N. Furter: buy costumes.com/frank-furter-adult-costume


	8. The Tragedy in Osaka

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Insterted: “PDA” by Nova Williams, “You Make Me Better” by Fabulous and Ne-Yo, “The Way I Are” by Timbaland feat Keri Hilson and DOE

**Chapter 8: Suspicions, A Tragedy & Puzzles**

**That Same Night**

The stillness of the night was broken by a low growl that conveyed clearly the frustration that was boiling inside of Eiri. Craning his neck, he glanced at the clock sitting on the bedside table. It was well after midnight. The thirty-something-year-old writer and father of four rolled onto his back and scrubbed his hands over his face. His hands flopped down onto the mattress beside him. Staring up at the shadow-strewn ceiling, he sighed in annoyance.

_Eiri lifted the phone back to his ear and turned to stare out over the backyard. Movement in the shadows caught his attention and raised his suspicion._

His mind kept revisiting that flash of ‘something’ he had seen earlier that night. Though a quick search of the area had revealed nothing, he hadn’t been satisfied. Something had been out there watching him and his family. He shuddered to think what could have been out there and what could still be out there, waiting, watching and biding its time.

Turning his head, his body soon followed as he flipped onto his side as gently as he could so he did not disturb he sleeping partner. Holding his head in his hand, he smiled softly down at Shuichi. His baka was so beautiful. Now that he was pregnant, with triplets no less, Shuichi had a radiance about him that made him glow even in his sleep.

Eiri pulled the comforter up around Shuichi’s shoulders and bending over the sleeping man, he swept his lips across his cheek.

He frowned as he pulled back. Shuichi felt warm. Was he becoming sick? God, he hoped not. He felt Shuichi’s forehead. It did not feel any hotter than usual, but his cheeks felt warm and in the filtered light coming in through the gauzy curtains hanging across the window above the bed, Eiri could see that Shuichi looked a little flush. Finding it curious and a little worrisome but not overtly alarming, because Shuichi always seemed to be hotter than normal, Eiri made a mental note to call Shuichi’s doctor in the morning and ask her about it. It could be nothing more than a hot flash connected with his pregnancy, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Being careful not to shake the bed too much, Eiri tossed back the covers and slipped out of bed. He slid his feet into his slippers and padded softly around the bed and across the room to the bedroom door. Like a ghost, he cast one last glance over his shoulder at his comatose husband before stepping out into the hallway and shutting the door inaudibly behind him.

Creeping down the hall towards the twins’ room, Eiri pushed open the door and stuck his head into the room.

The boys preferred the door to be left open at night. It was one of the few things they agreed upon. The other being the small bedroom lamp sitting on the dresser by the door. Instead of having a nightlight, which “is for babies” apparently, they opted for the light that was, ironically enough, not that much brighter than a nightlight, but was, according to the twins, “for big boys”.

Kane, who was closest to the door, was buried underneath the blankets. The only thing you could see was the top of his little blond head. His brother, on the other hand, was sprawled out nearly perpendicular across the bed. The blankets were bunched up at the foot of his bed. His pillow was hanging precariously off the edge of the mattress. Chuckling, Eiri shook his head in amusement. He could go in there and fix Keitaro so that he was sleeping correctly, but in no time at all he would be right back to where he was now and that would defeat the purpose of having rearranged him in the first place.

When Keitaro began to stir, Eiri made a hasty, but silent retreat.

Across the hall and right next to the master suite was Baby Kira’s room.

At six months, Kira was finally beginning to sleep through the night. Admittedly, that meant he woke up at four or five in the morning, but after a bottle and a diaper change, he fell right back to sleep for another few hours when he would need to be changed and fed again then he would spend the rest of the day playing, except for when he took his nap at three.

Eiri’s silhouette lay splayed out before him on the carpeted floor framed in the rectangular shaft of light that cut through the shadowy bedroom when he opened the bedroom door. Stepping over the threshold, he tiptoed across the room towards the crib on the far side of the room.

They had reused Keitaro’s crib instead of going out to buy a new one like Shuichi had wanted. They had been forced to toss Kane’s crib out because the boy had practically destroyed it. He’d banged, yanked, wrenched, and jerked his crib until it had fallen apart.

Before they found out they were pregnant, Eiri had had hopes of reusing Keitaro’s crib again instead of buying a new one in case they ever decided to have another baby, but it looked like that was not going to happen. Kira would still be using his when the triplets arrived because he would only be one when they were born.

That realization stopped Eiri cold. That was right. Not only would they have three new babies to take care of, but a one year old, not to mention the twins. He shuddered. When he said he wanted another baby, this was not what he had been thinking.

“Be careful what you wish for,” he sighed.

He might just have to swallow his pride and hire a nanny…or two…or three, especially if Shuichi decided to appear on that Desert Star song for their debut album because if he knew Shuichi, it would not stop with just this one song. It would most likely lead to either a brand new Bad Luck CD or even a solo album for Shuichi. Even though Shuichi had never said anything to him or to the other members of Bad Luck, Eiri knew that Shuichi had been mulling the idea over to release a CD for quite some time now, way before Bad Luck disbanded several years ago.

It may be a bit of an inconvenience to have six children under six under one roof if Shuichi did decide to finally put out a solo CD, but whatever he decided in the end, Eiri knew he would support him just as he always has.

With three new mouths to feed in a few short months, there was going to have to be some rearranging. When Riku comes home for Christmas in a few weeks, Eiri was going to “volunteer” his son into helping him move his room upstairs to the converted attic and use his old room as the nursery for the triplets. This would work out for two reasons. One, the room was near Shuichi and his and second, this gave Riku his own space away from the constant meandering of his brothers and sister.

Half of the attic had been converted into livable space some time ago. There were three bedrooms and a full bath up there that were currently used as guest rooms, but would serve Riku perfectly. If their family grew any more, he would have to look into converting the rest of the attic into livable space. Seeing it ran the full length of the mansion, he could get half a dozen more bedrooms out of what was left of the attic plus some much-needed bathrooms.

With three new babies on the way, Eiri was glad that Riku’s graduation coincided with Shuichi’s scheduled c-section. They were going to need all the help they could get. Shuichi was a little upset that he would not be able to attend their son’s graduation. However, Riku was not even sure he was going to go to his own graduation.

Eiri stepped up to Kira’s crib and folding his arms on the railing, leaned over the crib and smiled down at the dark haired bundle snoring away peacefully. He chuckled. It was amazing how much noise could come out of such a small package. When a picture of his baka flashed through his head, he chuckled.

Kira’s once dark brown eyes had already started to change into a gorgeous violet that Eiri knew so well. His son was looking more and more like his husband every day.

A smile softened the usually harsh contours of his face as he reached out to caress his sleeping son’s cheek.

Because Kira sweated like a pig while he slept, his jet-black hair was plastered to his head. When he woke up in the morning, his pajamas were going to be soaked through. He had to remember to talk about that with the doctor at Kira’s next appointment. That could not be normal, could it?

Kira’s puckered little mouth was hanging open and his hands were clenched up by his head.

Eiri was not sure what it was, but this six-month-old child seemed to have bewitched him somehow, just like his brothers and his mother before him.

When Kira began to twitch, Eiri stilled. Anxiously, he waited. He breathed a sigh of relief when Kira quieted back down. Deciding not to push his luck any further, he stepped carefully away from the crib and exited his baby boy’s room, shutting the door behind him with a quiet click.

 

* * *

 

Eiri picked out a small silver key from among the miscellaneous items in the green ceramic ashtray that Keitaro made for him then slid the key into the lock of the bottom drawer of the desk. The tumblers shifted loudly in the silence of the mansion.

He pulled open the drawer.

In the dim light from the desk lamp, he dug through the binders and folders that were bursting with papers and a soft cover book that had more tabs than it did pages until he found the large unmarked manila envelope buried at the bottom. He pulled it out and turned back towards the desk. Lifting the sealable flap, he slid out the contents into his hand. Setting the manila envelope aside, he stared down at the moment caught in time. He felt himself growing steadily angrier.

In the thirteen weeks since the first photograph had arrived at his in-laws house, a new photo had arrived in the mail each week. Each photograph was hand delivered in a plain manila envelope and each would reflect a captured moment from the previous week.

Shuichi knew nothing of these photographs.

It was clearly obvious that it could not remain a secret for very much longer. Someone was stalking his family and it was only a matter of time before whoever it was decided that watching them from a distance was not enough. After what he found in the mailbox earlier, that time was going to be here sooner rather than later.

Eiri stared down at the photograph staring back at him.

They say hindsight was twenty-twenty. He had not thought anything about it at the time when Shuichi told him about seeing what he had assumed was a paparazzo at his grandfather’s funeral three months back. He had brushed it off. They had dealt with the press many times before and by past standards, this time had been nothing to write home about. He’d had no reason to think otherwise. The next morning, though, this photograph had appeared at the Shindous’ doorstep. He glared down at the photograph of his husband holding a sleeping Kane while he spoke with his younger sister Maiko in the parking lot of the Ozaki Funeral Home, willing it to give him answers.

He was baffled and had absolutely no idea what was going on. He did not particularly care for this feeling. Who would leave these photographs in their mailbox and why? Better yet, who knew--other than their immediate families--that they had been staying with Shuichi’s parents? Just what the hell was going on?

Eiri’s mystification had given way to fright and then anger as a second one arrived and then a third and then a forth one as the weeks went by. He was extremely worried about the safety of his family. He was not sure what to think about this whole situation either, but one thing he did know was that it had not been a paparazzo at his grandfather-in-law’s funeral. No, who Shuichi had seen was their apparent stalker.

Eiri flipped to the next photograph. This one was taken a week after the first one when they were saying their goodbyes and packing up the SUV for the return trip home from Tokyo. It was funny, no matter how many times he mulled it over; he could not remember seeing anybody or anything out of the ordinary outside his in-laws that day.

The third photograph was of Shuichi outside his doctor’s office. Unfortunately, when Shuichi had taken a pregnancy test at Dr. Amano’s office before they left Tokyo, the results had been the same as the one from the home pregnancy test: negative. A week later, on a hunch, Shuichi called up his OB/GYN here in Nara. When this photo was taken, Shuichi was just leaving Dr. Watabe’s office with the good news. They were pregnant. The joy was so clear on Shuichi’s face; it nearly burst through the picture. Warmth spread through Eiri as he remembered that day.

The other photographs were taken the day of Keitaro and Kane’s six birthday party; Shuichi in town shopping; Shuichi taking Kira to the doctors for his regular check up; Shuichi going for his monthly check up with Dr. Watabe; Shuichi and he on a date at some play Shuichi had wanted to see (he could not remember what it was now); Shuichi at the local pharmacy picking up enough medicine for their trip to New York City to see Riku for Halloween; all of them out trick o’ treating in New York City (Kira looked so adorable in his little outfit); Shuichi at the doctor’s for another checkup after they had returned home to NYC; Shuichi and Sakuma Ryuichi on the back patio speaking when he came over to give Shuichi the track that Desert Star wanted him to appear on.

Eiri hesitated in flipping to the last photograph. This was the one that had arrived in the mail this afternoon, the one that Shuichi had seen him retrieve. He was just grateful that his little baka had become a little forgetful now that he was pregnant--well, more so then he normally was, anyway--because he was not sure what he would have said had Shuichi pressed the issue.

Closing his eyes, he shuffled the top photograph to the back of the pile. Gathering himself, he took a deep breath and opening his eyes, he gazed down at the bright red letters glaring back at him. Rage pooled red hot inside of him. His knuckles turned white as his grip on the baker’s dozen of photographs tightened. His jaw cinched, crushing his teeth together.

Up until this point, he had not been sure what this stalker-person was after. Was he part of the group that hated who they were, what they were, what they stood for? Was he another Rinjin Yasashii?

Eiri shuddered at the possibilities.

What he hated the most about this whole situation was that he could not protect his family as well as he thought he could. Some of these pictures were taken from mere feet away; even the one of Shuichi and Sakuma. In order to take this one, this guy had to have been in the yard.

He tensed.  
  
 _Eiri lifted the phone back to his ear and turned to stare out over the back yard. Movement in the shadows caught his attention and raised his suspicion._

“Dammit,” he hissed.

The bastard had been right under his nose!

Eiri uncurled his fingers from the photograph. Smoothing the now crumpled photograph, he studied it closely.

He remembered this day. Shuichi, despite the chilly weather that day, had gone outside to make a phone call. It was the only place where he had been able to hear himself think as well as have at least an illusion of privacy, he’d said later. He’d stayed on the phone for quite a while. No matter how much or how hard he was pressed, he refused to say who he had been speaking with or what he was talking about.

 _“It was about your Christmas present,”_ was all Shuichi would say on the subject.

Eiri traced his finger over the raised lettering that stretched across the photograph. It appeared to be dried red paint. The places where the paint had dribbled down the glossy photo paper made the message all the creepier.

“MURDERER”

Where before the intent of this stalker had been uncertain, now his objective was as clear as if he had shouted it for the entire world to hear from the rooftop. This creep was after Shuichi.

 

* * *

 

**A Month Later - December - Nara, Japan**

The average temperature for December in Nara, Japan was usually somewhere between sixty and sixty-nine degrees Fahrenheit and they saw typically around five inches of precipitation, but it was a week before Christmas and the temperature was hovering around a very chilly forty-five, way below average for this time of year. Just last night they had been forced to turn the furnace on when the temperature had actually dipped below freezing. Shuichi could not remember the last time they had used the heater. It had been that bitter a winter and it had not officially started yet. The boys were excited, though. They were hoping for snow for Christmas.

Last year they went to visit Maiko in Hokkaido for New Year’s, which was before her marriage had fallen apart, where they wound up being caught in a blizzard that had unexpectedly socked the region. Despite the howling wind blowing the snow that was piling ever higher into a virtual whiteout, the snapping branches that were taking out anything and everything in their path, the city wide blackout and the near below zero temperature, the boys had loved every minute of it! Because they had been riveted by the storm, it had been impossible to get them to bed that night. Shuichi, who had been four months pregnant with Kira at the time, had also enjoyed the snowstorm, but for a far different reason then Keitaro and Kane.

Last month, the temperature had dipped far below average for several days and the forecast had called for snow, but much to the boys’ disappointment not a single flake had fallen.

Wrapped in an oversized white knit sweater, Shuichi lifted a hand from his belly and waved at the golden orbs grinning at him out of the back of the electric red Tiburon GS as it circled the roundabout in the driveway. Out on the front stoop, the breeze whipping stray strands of his long, black hair free from the hair band that held his hair back at the nape of his neck, Shuichi watched in slight trepidation as Riku slowed to a halt before the wrought iron gate as it slowly swung open. He shivered in the chilly air.

If Eiri saw him standing out here in the cold without a coat on, he would have his head. Last month, Shuichi had caught a slight cold after he spent an hour outside on the phone with Tohma going over last minute details concerning Eiri’s Christmas present and making sure that it would arrive in time.

Back sometime in the spring before Kira was born, he and Eiri had decided to have a quiet night in bed after the boys went to sleep. They ended up watching some action flick that Eiri had wanted to see when it came out in theaters a couple years before. Halfway through, a commercial for a car show taking place in Kyoto came on and one of the cars that was shown had Eiri drooling. Instantly, the idea was born. So the next day when his husband was taking Keitaro and Kane to school, Shuichi hopped on the computer and did a search. It did not take long to find what he was looking for. After enlisting the help of his brother-in-law and boss, by breakfast the next morning, Shuichi was the proud owner of a newly restored cobalt blue 1969 Ferrari 365 GTS. Even as he stood out in the chilly late autumn afternoon, the car was being shipped over from the United States. According to Tohma, it should arrive in Japan sometime this weekend.

“Be careful,” Shuichi called after his boys.

Riku’s hand appeared out of the car window and gave a little wave.

Shuichi giggled.

Riku had flown in the week before from New York after his final exams were over and as he promised his brother over the phone last month, he was taking both Keitaro and Kane into town to do some Christmas shopping.

The hand was retracted and then with a squeal from the tires and a shower of gravel, the sleek Hyundai that had been an expensive birthday present from Eiri and him when Riku got his license turned out of the drive and vanished from view.

The front gate stopped mid-motion with a kchank and reversed direction.

Each car– including Eiri’s Saab and Mercedes, the SUV, Shuichi’s Jeep Cherokee, his Evo III and Riku’s Tiburon--had a remote that controlled the front gate as well as the multi-car garage. Very convenient for the lazy homeowner.

They had turned the cubbyhole under the staircase from wasted space into what had been dubbed “the control room”. From there you could control everything in the house; from the security system--that Eiri had just upscaled recently for some reason yet to be fully explained--to the stereo system and the gas fireplaces to the front gate.

Shuichi’s hand fluttered to his potbelly that, at twenty-one weeks, looked like he had strapped a beach ball under his shirt.

As he turned back to the house, something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Peering over his shoulder, he glanced across the front yard and through the iron bars of the front gate and spied a dark grey Honda that he was almost certain had not been there moments before. Shuichi turned around fully and cocked his head to the side as he studied the car curiously. The windows were tinted, but they were light enough so that he could see that someone was indeed inside the car and appeared to be looking his way. Unfortunately, the window tint was not light enough for Shuichi to be able to make out any features or to even make out if it was a male or female

Then as quickly as he had noticed it, the car sped off down the street. Since the Uesugi-Shindou residence was on a one-way street, Shuichi thought nothing about it when the car headed off in the same direction Riku had taken off in.

He turned back towards the house, writing the incident off as a fan trying to catch a glimpse of the now reclusive ex-front man from Bad Luck, a paparazzo or someone who had gotten himself lost. However, as he stepped into the foyer, he paused and glanced over his shoulder, a deep frown on his face. Was it just him, or had there been something familiar about that car?

He stepped into the house and shut the front door behind him, still lost in thought, making sure the door was shut securely behind him.

Eiri had become very anal about that, even more so than before, especially after what happened last month.

It was the day after Riku had called home and promised his little brother that he would take him and Keitaro shopping for Christmas presents when he returned home for winter break. Eiri, deciding to let Shuichi sleep in for a little while longer, got up to take care of Kira when the six month old woke bright and early at five o’clock in the morning. Not more than half an hour later, though, Eiri came storming back upstairs all up in arms about how Shuichi had left the studio door open after Eiri had explicitly told him to make sure to lock it.  
  
 _“I did shut the door Eiri,” Shuichi told his husband, slightly exasperated. He stifled a yawn as he looked up at the taller man who was glowering down at him. Eiri was trying for intimidating, but it was not working. Being with the author for nearly twenty years, Shuichi knew all of the older man’s little tricks. “And locked it,” he added._

_Silence._

_“I even jiggled the handle to make sure.”_

_More silence._

_Shuichi drew his brows together in growing anger. “It was locked, Eiri,” he retorted. He knew that during pregnancy, the expectant mother had a tendency to become forgetful, but Shuichi was dead certain that he had locked the studio door when he left yesterday._

_Yet more silence._

_Shuichi growled lightly. “Don’t you look at me like that Uesugi Eiri! You were there when I locked it,” he snapped._

_“Then why the hell was it wide open, huh?” Eiri bit back._

_“How the hell should I know?” Shuichi yelled. “Do I look fucking psychic to you?! Maybe it unlocked itself! Or maybe some Bad Luck fan decided to help himself to a souvenir!”_

Shuichi let his hormones get the better of him that day, but being accused of a crime he did not do would be enough to ruffle anyone’s feathers. Thankfully, Eiri had not taken any offense to what he said. Instead, his reaction to the denial had just added to the growing list of suspicions and unanswered questions.

_The author searched his infuriated husband’s face closely, trying to quell the rising panic. “Are you sure?” he asked in a calm, soft voice. He had to make sure, had to be absolutely certain._

_Shuichi must have sensed something for the anger that was contorting his face slipped off. “Yes.”_

_Eiri remembered the photograph they had gotten in the mail yesterday and went white._

_“Eiri?” Shuichi called in concern. “Eiri, what’s going on? Are you alright?”_

Shuichi sighed heavily as he made his way to the TV room. Rounding the couch, he plopped down. Resting his head back against the top of the couch, he stared blankly up at the ceiling.

Eiri never did answer his question. He just apologized in his own Eiri-like way and said something about the lock probably being defective, or something or other and went to quiet a screaming Kira.

A defective lock, huh? Something told Shuichi to believe that excuse as far as he could throw Eiri. Something was going on around here and he intended to find out what it was one way or another.

His mind flashed back to the grey Honda that he had spotted sitting in front of the house only minutes before. Then something nearly forgotten threw itself to the forefront of Shuichi’s mind.

_Shuichi jerked his head over his shoulder._

_“Huh?” Maiko glanced quickly over the parking lot then turned back towards him._

_“Across the street.”_

_Confused, Maiko turned around again and glanced towards the street. She did not see anything particular or out of the ordinary. “'Across the street' what? I don't see-”_

_“The car.”_

_Maiko glanced back across the street, an eyebrow raised. The Ozaki Funeral Home was not located on a major thoroughfare, but it was still quite a busy side street that connected two main streets that were especially busy during rush hour. It was now past morning rush hour and there were a couple hours until the afternoon rush, but there was still dozens of cars going by at any given moment and vehicles were parked on either side of the street. “Oh, that narrows it down,” she said sarcastically. “Which one.”_

_“That dark blackish-grey Honda Civic in front of the bakery at the corner.”_

_Maiko looked for a bakery at the corner across the street and found it. It was a non-descript building with flowered curtains hanging across the lower half of the front windows. A few wrought iron bistro sets sat in front of the shop. Like Shuichi said, there was a dark grey car parked in front of it. “Okay. What about it?”_

_“Take a look inside.”_

_“It's a little hard to see because the windows are tinted.”_

_“I know, but you see that guy?”_

_“Yeah… What's he doing? It looks like he's holding something.”_

_“Camera.”_

Shuichi sat up with a gasp. It was the same car!

“Hey,” rumbled a voice.

Shuichi glanced over his shoulder and spied Eiri walking down the staircase with a manuscript in his hand.

“They leave?”

“Yeah,” Shuichi answered in a distracted manner.

The car he and Maiko saw back in August at their grandfather’s funeral and the car that had been parked outside the house just moments before had to be the same one, but what did that mean? Was it just a coincidence?

Seeing the distant expression on Shuichi’s face, Eiri grew curious as to what was on in the singers mind. “What’s going on?” he inquired.

“Hm? Oh, nothing. Just thinking.”

“About what?”

Shuichi bit his lip. He was not sure if he should bring this up, or not. Eiri might just laugh at him for being paranoid. It would not be the first time.

He glanced down at Kira who was sound asleep in his bouncy chair that was sitting on the floor between the couch and the armchair.

“Shu?” Eiri prodded, stepping into the room.

Shuichi glanced up at his husband with torturous purple eyes. “You remember that paparazzo I told you about when we were back in Tokyo?”

Eiri did not like where this conversation was going already. He frowned down at the other man. “Yeah,” he drawled.

“Well.” Shuichi glanced down at his hands clenched together in his lap. “I think…”

Eiri’s heart was hammering in his chest.

“I think I saw him again.”

“When?” Eiri demanded.

Shuichi glanced up at Eiri in surprise. “Just a minute ago.”

Eiri tossed down his manuscript onto the coffee table and stormed towards the front door.

Shuichi followed after him. “He was parked on the side of the road across the street from the house and when he noticed I’d seen him, he took off.”

“It was a ‘he’?” Eiri asked him as they stood out on the front steps.

“I’m not sure. The windows were tinted.”

“Damn,” Eiri growled. He was getting more and more brazen.

“Eiri?” Shuichi called softly. Eiri’s reaction to the news about someone who just might be a member of the press confirmed Shuichi’s suspicions that something was going on. “Eiri. What’s going on?”

Eiri ignored the question and asked one of his own. “What kind of car was it?”

“Huh?” The topic change took Shuichi by surprise.

“The car you saw. What kind was it? What color was it?”

“It was a dark grey Honda Civic.”

“Did you get the license plate?”

“No.” That had been the last thing on his mind. “Why?”

Eiri remained silent.

“Eiri, what’s going on?”

Again, his husband said nothing. He just kept staring off into the distance.

“Does it have something to do with what came in the mail that time?”

A look of surprise flashed across Eiri’s face before he could school his face, but he was not quick enough because Shuichi had seen.

“It does, doesn’t it?”

Eiri turned to face his husband. Shuichi had a determined glint in his eye.

“Eiri?”

 

* * *

 

**En Route**

The red car was in sight. Lips the color of blood curled into a malicious smile. Hands, their professionally manicured nails the same deep red color, curled around the steering wheel and gripped it tightly. The grey Honda followed at a discreet distance behind the Uesugi-Shindou brats as they maneuvered through the steady flow of traffic into town.

It was a lucky thing the windows were tinted. That was twice that murderous bastard had spotted the car, but Shindou Shuichi was not known, thankfully, for his high IQ so nothing had been compromised as of yet. However, that Yuki Eiri was another matter all together and that meant that this had to end and quickly before anyone became too wise.

Suddenly the cellphone, which was resting in the cup holder in the console between the driver’s seat and the passenger seat, went off. Without jet black eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses ever leaving the road, the phone was answered.

“Hello.”

“It’s me,” spoke a gravely voice over the line.

“Ah, Mr. Keene.” The smile broke into a full out grin.

“Where are you?” asked the serious voice.

“I’m in Nara following the children. It looks like they’re heading towards Osaka.”

“Good…”

There was a long pause. It went on for too long. A quick glance at the phone gave information that they had not been disconnected. “…Scott? You there? Hello?”

“…Sorry,” Scott Keene whispered over the line. “I don’t have long to speak.”

“Is something wrong?”

“Nothing that concerns you, Karin.”

Karin frowned at that. Seeing as she was part of Scott Keene’s plan for revenge on “that sinful, immoral whore”, you had better believe that everything that happened to him concerned her. It was her ass on the line as well.

“I need you to speed up things.”

“What? Why? That’s insane! Do you have any idea-?”

“Just do it Rinjin,” Keene barked.

Karin yanked the earpiece away from her ear with a wince. As she replaced it in her ear, she heard the distant sound of sirens over the line. “Scott?”

“I’ll call you later,” came the hurried reply.

With that, the line went dead.

“What the hell?” She stared down at her phone. She wondered what he was up to. With a heavy sigh, Karin took out the earpiece and tucked it into the cup holder along with her cellphone. “Crazy son of a bitch,” she muttered. “I can’t believe I agreed to work with this guy.”

Signaling, she followed the red Hyundai when it pulled into a parking garage.

Scott wanted things sped up, she was not sure why, but it was a reckless thing to do, but who was she to argue? Like him, she had a very good reason to see one Shindou Shuichi dead and the sooner, the better.

 

* * *

 

**En Route**

It had been quite a surprise to learn that Shuichi was “in the family way” mere months after the birth of Kira. Then when the announcement was made to the family that it was triplets suspected this time, everybody believed it to be a very funny joke, but when they were shown the sonograms, it became evident that this was not some hoax that was meant to produce a laugh from the family. The sonograms were irrefutable proof that Shuichi did indeed have three human lives growing inside of him. To say they were shocked would be an understatement.

Multiple births were becoming increasingly common because of the likes of artificial fertilization. To have one without the aid of science was a rare occurrence, but to have two? The odds of that happening had to be astronomical.

Tohma wished his brothers-in-law the best of luck. They were certainly going to need it.

A couple months back, Mika made a comment about it being a good thing Riku was going to be graduating this spring and that both he and Shuichi had their licenses and that it was fortunate her brother and Shuichi seemed to have become car collectors because when the new babies arrived next spring, they were going to need all those cars in order to go anywhere together as a family.

That got Tohma thinking. Shuichi purchased a limited edition vintage 1969 Ferrari 365 GTS for Eiri for Christmas, but it was not a practical family vehicle and that was what the Uesugi-Shindou troop needed. Therefore, he had purchased a Toyota Sienna 8-passenger 4-door mini van that was not even on the market yet.

As he drove through the streets of the ancient capitol, Tohma could just picture Eiri’s expression when he showed up at his doorstep with this extravagant Christmas present. He had a feeling Eiri was going to sulk.

_“I can provide for my own family, Seguchi.”_

Tohma sighed. Eiri was not going to accept the gift without some scathing remark; he never did. He really was an ungrateful little git sometimes. Tohma was sure Shuichi would accept it, though not before confessing how they were unworthy of such a generous gift and just could not in good faith accept it.

Tohma was stopped by a changing light when his cellphone started to ring. A deep frown crossed his face as he read the ID on the LCD screen.  


* * *

 

Double-parked, his hazard lights blinking a warning to the other motorists, Tohma’s grip tightened on his cellphone. It was the only outwardly indication that he was deeply disturbed.

“Are they sure?”

_Please let it be a mistake._

“Yes, Sir,” his lawyer confirmed much to Tohma’s chagrin.

_Bloody hell._

“Keep me informed.”

“Of course, Sir.”

Tohma snapped his phone shut, ending the call in an all too familiar curtly manner. He fisted the small black electrical device hard enough to crack the outer shell then threw the phone into the passenger seat unkindly.

Deactivating the hazard lights, he peeled into traffic and teased the speed limit as much as he dared. When he decided to pay them a call in order to surprise them, this was not what he had in mind.

What a way to spend Christmas, he thought miserably.

 

* * *

 

**Shindou-Uesugi Residence - Nara, Japan**

“Does it have something to do with what came in the mail that time?”

A look of surprise flashed across Eiri’s face before he could school his face, but he was not quick enough because Shuichi had seen.

“It does, doesn’t it?”

Eiri turned to face his husband. Shuichi had a determined glint in his eye.

“Eiri?” The unrelenting silence that enveloped them was beginning to scare Shuichi. He did not understand why Eiri was not saying anything. “Eiri? Eiri, please,” Shuichi pleaded.

Eiri sighed. “Shu-”

Anything else he might have said was lost as a horn sounded suddenly.

He glanced over his shoulder and saw a midnight blue van sitting idle on the other side of the gate. Peering through bars of the gate and the slightly tinted windshield, Eiri said a brief prayer of thanks at whom he saw sitting behind the steering wheel. He never thought he would be so happy to see someone in his entire life.

“Is that…? Seguchi-san?” Shuichi asked from besides him.

“Looks like.”

“Wonder what he’s doing here?”

“And what the hell is he driving?”

 

* * *

 

“He’s grown to look a lot like Shindou-san,” Tohma commented.

“You’ve noticed that too, huh?”

Tohma chuckled. “Like a little mini me.”

Eiri snorted.

They were standing by the staircase in the foyer watching Shuichi play with Kira in the television room. The seven-month-old Uesugi-Shindou was squealing in delight as Shuichi played hide ‘n go seek with him.

Shuichi dropped the throw pillow he had been “hiding” behind. “Boo!”

Kira squealed, flailing his arms and legs.

Eiri chuckled.

Tohma glanced at his wife’s brother out of the corner of his eye and smiled. “You’ve really changed, Eiri-kun.”

Eiri immediately sobered and tossed a glare his brother-in-law’s way.

“It’s nice.”

Eiri rolled his eyes.

“Who would have ever thought you, of all people, would get married and have a family.”

“Apparently not you.”

“You didn’t exactly do anything to quell those beliefs, Eiri-kun.”

Eiri gave a one-shouldered shrug. He supposed not.

He watched Shuichi pick up a bottle half filled with milk that was lying under the coffee table. It must have been left over from when Shuichi fed Kira before his nap. He winced and wished Shuichi would just go get a fresh one, but he knew from past experience that if he said anything, Shuichi would just argue with him until Eiri eventually relented. So really, there was really no point in saying anything in the first place. Shuichi scooped Kira out of the bouncy chair carefully and holding him in his arms, brought the bottle to Kira’s mouth. Kira gazed up at Shuichi as he latched on to the bottle and began sucking hungrily as if this was his first meal in weeks. Eiri shook his head with a snort. He was definitely Shuichi’s son.

Shuichi started to sway gently from side to side as he fed his son.

Eiri’s ears perked up when Shuichi started humming a familiar slow melody.

**There is a time and a place**   
**For all lovers to express**   
**Their devotion for one another:**   
**Whenever the mood hits them.**   
**It matters little where they are.**   
**Fr us, that time is now.**   
**Everyone stops and stares.**   
**Let them look and say**   
**What they want to say.**   
**I can see it--that jealousy.**   
**They hate that we’re happy,**   
**But it matters not what they think.**   
**I’m with you and you’re with me.**   
**Being wrapped in your arms,**   
**No matter the time or place,**   
**You whispering you love me,**   
**Is the best type of PDA.**

While he had recognized the melody as a tune Shuichi has been singing off and on for weeks now, the lyrics were something he never heard before.

As if reading his mind, Tohma spoke up into the silence that followed. “That was new.”

Eiri grunted in lee of a response.

“Will he be appearing on that Brooke Hogan song that Desert Star is remaking?”

Eiri glanced at Tohma quickly before returning his gaze to his husband and son. “You’ll have to ask him.”

“Ryuichi brought over the tracks like he was supposed to, am I correct?”

Eiri tensed as the photograph of Shuichi speaking with Sakuma flashed through his head.

Sensing the change, Tohma peered at Eiri in concern. “Eiri-kun?”

Tohma’s voice brought him back down. “Yeah, he brought them.”

Filing away the alteration in attitude for later, Tohma nodded. “So has Shindou-san been working on the song at all?”

Eiri shrugged. “A little bit.”

“Hm.” That must mean he still has some reservations. Tohma peered at his brother-in-law. “You didn’t happen to say anything to him, did you?”

“‘Bout what?”

“Appearing on the song.”

Eiri stared at Tohma with a blank expression on his face. “Of course not.”

Tohma nodded.

“What?” Eiri demanded. He, for some reason, suddenly felt like he should be on the defensive, but then when it came to his and Shuichi’s relationship, he was always defending his actions.

“I suppose Shindou-san came to you when the venture was proposed?”

“Yeah,” Eiri confirmed. He narrowed his eyes. Why was he not getting a good feeling about this?

“And what’s your opinion.”

“It’s up to him.”

“Ah!” Tohma nodded. He had expected as much.

“What?!”

“Nothing. Nothing at all.”

“Yeah, right. Everything that comes out of your mouth is a double entendre, Seguchi.” Eiri turned his attention back to the TV room. Kira had downed the rest of the bottle in record time and was sucking on the ear of his rag doll that, frighteningly enough, reminded Eiri of that idiot Sakuma’s stuffed rabbit, which he still had. Incidentally, Sakuma was the one that purchased that rag doll for Kira. Eiri had wanted to give it to the Goodwill, or better yet, burn the damned thing, but unfortunately, Kira had taken an instant liking to the cursed beast.

Tohma smirked. “You know me all too well, Eiri-kun.”

Eiri snorted. “You think?”

Tohma chuckled.

“…Hey, Seguchi,” Eiri called quietly after several moments of silence.

“Yes, Eiri-kun.”

“You do know that I can provide for my own family.”

Tohma chuckled again. “And that, Eiri-kun, is a most predictable response.”

“Then what’s with the van.”

Tohma sighed. “I told you. It’s a Christmas present from Mika and me.”

Eiri narrowed his golden gaze at his sister’s husband.

“Eiri-kun, there really is no need to be so suspicious.”

Eiri cocked an eyebrow as if to say, “Really?”

“Not everything I do has a dark ulterior motive behind it…Recently,” he added.

Eiri could not argue with that.

Tohma sighed heavily. “Really Eiri-kun, can’t you just accept this unconditional gift gratefully?”

Eiri said nothing.

“Not even a ‘thank you, Brother’?”

Not even bothering to waste his breath with a response that Tohma could repeat in his sleep, Eiri turned from him and walked across the foyer towards the kitchen.

Tohma grabs Eiri’s arm. “Actually,” he says in a hushed voice, halting the writer’s forward movements. “There is something I wanted to speak with you about.”

Eiri glanced at Tohma over his shoulder and the serious expression on the other man’s face set him on edge.

 

* * *

 

Tapping his fingers against his leg, Shuichi’s head bounced as he wound his way back to the couch.

**I'm a movement by myself.**   
**But I'm a force when we're together.**   
**Mami I'm good all by myself.**   
**But baby you, you make me better.**   
**You make me better.**

Reclaiming his seat on the couch, Shuichi noticed that the terrycloth rabbit that Kira’s godfather had given him was gone.

“What did you do with it this time?” he asked his son.

After a quick search, he found it hiding underneath the bouncy chair. As he was about to hand it off, a new song came on the radio.

“Oo! I like this song!”

**I ain't got no money**   
**I ain't got no car to take you on a date**   
**I can't even buy you flowers**   
**But together we could be the perfect soul mates**   
**Talk to me girl**

Shuichi wiggled the rag doll around, making it dance. He laughed as his son cried out to him in annoyance, his fisted hands jerking about as he demanded the return of his toy. “Alright. Alright,” Shuichi giggled. He handed back the doll, which Kira snatched only to toss it away again. Shuichi sighed. “You know, this’s getting old, Kira.” It felt as if he was playing fetch with his son. Reaching out, he scooped up the blue rag doll from the floor just as the familiar jingle of the house phone sounded. He glanced at it inquiringly as it rang again. Casting his son, who was waiting impatiently for his toy a quick glance, Shuichi pushed off the couch with the rag doll still in his hand and grabbed the phone extension from its cradle on the side table, lowering the volume of the stereo on his way. The caller ID said “Unknown”. “Hello?” Shuichi answered. He turned and watched his son watching him. “What?” he breathed to the seven month old.

Kira squealed.

“Yes. Hello. This is Detective Misawa Ren from the Osaka Police Department. Is this Shindou-san?”

“Yes,” Shuichi replied suspiciously.

“Shindou-san, I’m afraid there has been an incident-”

Shuichi sighed heavily. “What did he do this time?” He should have known.

“Shindou-san, I’m afraid that’s not why I called,” the detective interrupted.

Shuichi stiffened as he heard the deadly serious tone from the police officer.

Turning deathly pale, Shuichi collapsed into the chair behind him as the officers hollow words continued to pour over the line. His arm dropped and the phone clattered to the floor.

 

* * *

 

“Dammit!” Eiri punched the wall. “How the hell can they let this happen?!”

Saying nothing, Tohma watched his brother-in-law sympathetically.

They were sitting at the counter that looked into the kitchen with their backs to the formal sitting room where Tohma had just dropped a major bombshell.

Eiri rounded on Tohma. “That guy tried to kill Shuichi!”

Tohma nodded. “I know.”

“Goddamned son of a bitch!”

A year before they were married, Bad Luck was on tour in support of their album Loveless and before they were scheduled to go on at Madison Square Garden in New York City, a deranged man had somehow been able to sneak backstage and into Shuichi’s dressing room. Pulling a knife, the insane man tried to murder the singer. A struggle ensued. The commotion grabbed the attention of a couple of roadies that had, coincidentally, passed by Shuichi’s dressing room at that exact moment.

Thankfully, Shuichi managed to escape with nothing more than a gash on his arm that had just needed a few stitches.

They found out later that this man, who turned out to be a man named Scott Keene, had been able to make his way backstage by bribing Shuichi’s bodyguard, Isaac, with cocaine. Apparently, Isaac had a history of drug abuse that he had neglected to mention on his employment application. Isaac had been fired from his position as Shuichi’s bodyguard soon after.

This Scott Keene guy had returned home the previous week, weary from working a double shift, to find a commotion outside his apartment. When he entered his daughter’s room, he found her hanging from the curtain rod in her closet with Bad Luck playing in the background. It turned out his daughter, Deborah Ann Keene, had been suffering from severe depression and a breakup with her boyfriend over her unexpected pregnancy had pushed her over the edge. Apparently, her boyfriend had refused to recognize the baby as his. Scott refused to accept the reality of the circumstances surrounding his daughter’s suicide and instead blamed the “sinful” music from the “sinful” man, Shuichi, as the cause of his daughter’s death and sought revenge.

Scott Keene was subsequently convicted of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, possession and the sale and distribution of an illegal substance on top of nearly a dozen other charges brought against him and was sentenced to life. Eiri had been rooting for the death penalty, but life without the possibility of parole was just as good. Why give that bastard the easy way out. Let him rot in a prison cell for the rest of his natural life knowing all of this could have been prevented.

Now that same bastard had somehow been able to escape from prison.

“I knew he should have been sent to death row! Bastard!”

“Eiri-kun-”

“How the hell could they let a convicted murderer escape?!” Eiri bellowed.

Technicalities put aside, Tohma stood from the stool and rounding the counter, walked up to his distressed friend. “I really don’t know any more than you do,” he admitted. His voice was calm and soft; a sharp contrast to Eiri’s. He was hoping to be able to pacify him, at least a little. “But you really need to calm down,” he insisted lightly. Hugging Eiri’s arm to his chest, he led the man back to the counter.

“How the hell do you expect me to calm down with that man on the loose?!”

“Eiri you need to calm down and listen to me,” Tohma ordered.

“Tohma-”

“Eiri.” Tohma forced his brother-in-law down onto the stool none-too-gently. “Look. I understand how you feel, trust me, but Scott Keene, on the run though he maybe, is on the other side of the planet and there is no possible way that he will be able to get from New York to Japan unless he was escorted by a contingent of FBI agents.”

Eiri sighed heavy and sagged back in the chair. He knew that; he really did--logically. Nevertheless, the idea of that creep, who had almost killed the most important person in his life, was out there somewhere scared him more than he would ever admit.

“I’m afraid that is not all.”

Eiri felt queasy.

“When Mr. Keene was spotted last it was at a payphone in a diner in Upstate New York, but he somehow managed to elude the cops.”

That made Eiri furious. The police were such incompetent fools!

“They suspect that he might be getting help from sympathetic residents in the area.”

That made Eiri sick.

“When they traced the call Mr. Keene made at the diner…”

Eiri gulped.

“…apparently, it came back to a woman here in Japan.”

Eiri’s eyes went wide. The color drained from his face. If he had not been already sitting down, he would have fallen over. An image of the surveillance photos spread out on his desk flashed through his mind. A woman? Here in Japan? Could this be just a mere coincidence? It had to be. What other explanation was there?

Watching Eiri’s reaction closely, Tohma continued, “And it turns out that he has been communicating with this same woman for…”

Eiri waited anxiously though he had a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach that he already knew what Tohma was going to say.

“…the past seven or eight years.”

“Oh God.”

It was true. Dear God it was true.

No. He shook himself. What was he thinking? No. It was a coincidence. Maybe they were simply pen pals, or something. Hell, he’d had several throughout his stint in school from grade school all the way into high school.

Tohma stepped forward, more certain now than ever. “Eiri? I think there is something you need to tell me.”

His whole body trembling, Eiri lifted shock-filled eyes. Tohma was right. It was about time he confided in his brother-in-law. Things had suddenly reached another level. It was now obvious that they were dealing with more than just some stalker.

First, there was one other thing he had to know.

“Her name.”

“Excuse me?”

“Her name? What’s the name of this woman Scott Keene has been keeping in touch with over here in Japan?”

“…Eiri-kun-”

“Tohma. Please.”

Tohma sighed heavily. It was one shocking revelation after another, but this was one revelation that his brother-in-law might not be able to handle. “Eiri, I don’t think-”

“Who is she Tohma?!”

Tohma sighed. “Karin. Rinjin Karin.”

Eiri went completely white. He felt lightheaded. The room teetered and swam around him. He felt sick to his stomach.

Rinjin Karin? As in Rinjin Yasashii?

Downhearted at this whole situation, Tohma felt completely helpless.

“Tohma…Is she…?” Eiri could not even bring himself to finish that question.

Tohma nodded weakly. “She is, apparently, Yasashii’s sister.”

Eiri went blank.

Feeling guilty for how this whole thing was plaguing his brother-in-law and for how useless he seemed to be, Tohma took a step towards Eiri, but halted his procession, his hand paused in mid-air. He cocked his head to the side and listened carefully. Dropping his hand, he peered over his shoulder with a frown.

His sister’s husband’s distant expression snapped Eiri out of his self-imposed depression. “What’s wrong?” He tried to still his rapidly beating heart and the panic threatening to engulf him.

“I don’t-I thought I heard something.”

“What?”

“Not sure.”

Standing up, the two trooped to the archway that separated the Great Room from the foyer. Eiri gasped at the sight before him. “Shuichi!” Eiri, with Tohma at his heels, raced across the foyer and jumping the baby gate with ease, and knelt at his husband’s feet. He grabbed Shuichi’s hands and noticed immediately how cold they felt. “Shu? Baby? What’s wrong? Shuichi?”

“Shindou-kun?” Tohma called softly.

Eiri glanced around when he heard the sound of muffled voices. He spotted the phone. Snatching it off the floor, he yelled angrily over the line.

“Ah,” came the masculine voice, “finally. Who is this I am speaking to?”

“Who the hell am _I_ speaking to? What the hell did you say to my husband?!”

“Eiri,” Tohma scolded lightly. He pulled the portable phone extension out of Eiri’s grip, ignoring his protestation, and spoke calmly over the line. “This is Seguchi Tohma speaking. Who is this I am speaking to?”

“Ah, Seguchi-san. Yes. This is Detective Misawa from the Osaka Police Department.”

Tohma tried to quell his own panic.

“Seguchi? What-?”

Tohma raised a hand to silence his brother-in-law.

“I am sorry that we have to meet under these circumstances, Seguchi-san, but unfortunately, I have some bad news…”

Tohma’s eyes grew wide as the police officer’s words flowed over the phone.

“Tohma?” Slowly Eiri got to his feet. He did not like this. Not one bit. “Tohma, what is going on?”

Tohma’s arm dropped to his side. A little pale, he turned to face his brother-in-law. “…Eiri…”

Eiri’s eyes went wide. He took a step back, tripping over the corner of the chair.

“I am so sorry, Eiri.”

“…No…” Eiri’s voice shook. He shook his head. He was lying. “No.” It was steadier this time.

Tears shimmered in the usually stoic Tohma’s eyes. “There…was an accident-”

Eiri continued to shake his head. He was not listening. He was not listening. This was not happening.

“-in the parking garage.”

A lone tear tickled its way down the writer’s face.

“Witnesses claim to have seen a dark colored Honda Civic-”

With a gasp, Eiri’s knees buckled under him and his collapsed to the hardwood floor.

When Tohma’s words hit Shuichi, he struggled to rise above the barrier that separated him from everything around him. A Honda Civic? A dark colored Honda Civic? Was it possible…?

_“Across the street...That dark blackish-grey Honda Civic in front of the bakery at the corner…Take a look inside.”_

_“It's a little hard to see because the windows are tinted.”_

_“I know, but you see that guy?”_

_“Yeah… What's he doing? It looks like he's holding something.”_

_“Camera.”_

Could it...?

_As he turned back to the house, something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Peering over his shoulder, he glanced across the front yard and through the iron bars of the front gate and spied a dark grey Honda that he was almost certain had not been there moments before._

Was it the same car?

“-chase the boys through the parking garage, ramming them countless times,” Tohma continued. “Riku-kun apparently lost control of the car and plowed into a pillar-”

“It was her,” Eiri whispered, not having heard a word Tohma said. His voice did not sound like his own.

Shuichi focused his dazed mind on Eiri as much as the fog in his mind would allow.

“It was her,” Eiri reiterated. He lifted eyes glazed over with shock and disbelief. “She’s been stalking us for months and now this…” God! Was this all his fault?

That got Tohma’s immediate attention. “Eiri. What are you talking about? What is going on?”

Instead of answering, Eiri turned his attention from his brother-in-law to his husband. “Shu-chan.”

Shuichi just stared back at his husband blankly, unable to process any of this.

“I am so sorry,” Eiri whispered, his voice breaking with the effort to hold back the flood of tears threatening to spill over.

Shuichi felt numb.

It may have been gravitation that brought Eiri and him together, but Fate had cursed their relationship from the very beginning. This was just another sad reminder that they were not meant to have any semblance of happiness in their lives.

…To Be Continued…


	9. Two Steps Forward and One Step Back

**Chapter 9: Two Steps Forward and One Step Back**

What had at one time used to be a source of pride for her had become the basis of her greatest shame. People used to look at her and her brother and coo at how much alike they looked. Often Yasashii and she were mistaken for twins when in reality they were nearly fifteen years apart.

Their parents had just about given up any hope of having any children of their own when her brother came along. They had already been well into their forties by this time. Then their mother had discovered she was pregnant with her second child. To say their parents had been surprised at this sudden and unexpected development would be an understatement. From what she learned from her brother, she had come this close to not being born. Apparently, not only their mother, but their father as well, was worried about becoming parents for the second time at their age. Not only was going through a pregnancy extremely dangerous for their mother at her age, but their parents were afraid that they would not be around to see their baby girl grow up. They were also concerned about just being able to take care of a baby. They were no longer as young as they used to be. In the end, their parents ended up going through with the pregnancy.

…But when she was five, Yasashii had been twenty, their father passed away after a massive series of heart attacks. Then a mere five years later when she was ten, they lost their mother. Their mother had been steadily going down hill ever since their father passed away until her heart finally just gave out. She passed away five years to the day she lost her husband. None of the doctors would admit it, but everyone in the family knew that she had died of a broken heart.

Her brother took her in after that. He became her mother and her father. He was the one who, for the next five years, took care of her. He protected her, guided her, and loved her as if she were his own.

…And then…

It was the end of her first semester in high school. She had opted to try for one of the most prestigious, exclusive private high schools in Japan and had, to her astonishment, actually been accepted. Physical Education was her first class of the day and it was just ending when she was called to the office. At first, she thought she was in trouble. She had not been able to think of anything that would warrant her to be sent to the principal’s office, but at the time, it had been the only reasonable explanation. Once she entered the head master’s office, though, she was given the shock of her life. Her brother, her only living relative, was gone.

There was a struggle…

…The railing snapped…

…He fell…

…He broke his neck…

…and died instantly.

Then she learned that Shindou Shuichi had been the cause of the fight. _He_ had been the one who pushed her brother to his death. _He_ pushed her brother through the railing. _He_ was the reason why she was suddenly left all alone in the world. Her idol, the guy she had plastered all over the walls in her dorm room and in her locker and all over her notebooks and binders, was her brother’s killer.

She had been outraged!

…But then…

The news began spreading all those vicious lies about her brother. They claimed that _Shindou_ had been the victim _not_ her brother. Her brother had kidnapped and assaulted Shindou. He murdered Shindou’s bodyguards. Her brother had been stalking Shindou for the past year. He had hired some photographer turned bodyguard who had been fired from his position as Shindou’s bodyguard the previous year to get candid shots of the singer to use as blackmail it was suspected. He paid an old school chum to get inside NG Production to spy on Shindou.

Lies! It was all lies!

How dare they badmouth her brother?!

Growing up, “Kremlin” had been a favorite game frequently played in her home. Yasashii had “come out of the closet” at a very young age. Their parents had not approved of their son’s “chosen” lifestyle and when he refused to “act normal” so that he did not “dishonor and bring shame and embarrassment to the family”, there was only one thing their parents could do. They could not disinherit Yasashii because he was their only son, so instead they pretended that their son’s homosexuality did not exist. Thus the game of “Kremlin” was born.

When Bad Luck first hit the scene, her brother had been instantly infatuated with Shindou, along with millions of other people scattered across Japan. When it came out that not only was the singer gay, he was involved with none other than heartthrob Yuki Eiri, it became obvious that her brother’s infatuation was more than a schoolboy crush.

Yes, Yasashii had been in love with Shindou.

Yes, he had been a little too obsessed.

Yes, his fixation with Shindou may have gone a little too far.

…But…

…the same thing could be said for almost every other Bad Luck fan.

Her brother was _not_ responsible for all of those malicious lies people were spreading about him.

She knew her brother had a tendency to come off a little too forward and pushy at times so Karin could understand if Shindou had been freaked out when her brother first approached him, but that was not reason enough to blast him every chance he had and it certainly was not an excuse to push him to his death.

Yasashii had been Shindou’s biggest fan and _this_ was how the singer repaid her brother?!

Bullshit.

Bull-fucking-shit!

Then there were reports of how Shindou had suffered some spinal injuries in the fall that had killed her brother. Part of her was ecstatic. It was the least that bastard deserved after what he did to her brother, but another part of her did not believe that crap. It was heresy. It was just another ploy set in motion by Shindou to gain favoritism from the public and to vilify her brother’s reputation even more.

She used to be so proud of how much like her brother she looked, but after that horrific day, her looks had given her nothing but grief. Her so-called friends, the teachers at school that used to dote on her good looks and excellent grades and even people she did not know looked at her scornfully from that day forward. They all treated her as if she had the plaque, as if she were to blame for the coming of the end of the world. She had been forced to drop out of school and change her name. She had been forced to move so many times in the past decade that she lost count. She had even gone in for plastic surgery, but it was useless. No matter where she went, no matter what she did, people always seemed to find out who she was and she was run out of town each and every time. She had turned into the world’s number one enemy after Shindou murdered her brother. The worst was nobody would listen to her side of the story.

…Until she met Scott Keene.

She met Scott over the internet and found out they had a lot in common. They struck up a relationship and started to formulate plans.

Now those plans were finally in motion. She would get her revenge for her brother’s death no matter what it cost her, no matter what she had to do in order to destroy Shindou…even those that he held dear.

 

* * *

 

**Home Lodge Hotel - Outside Osaka, Japan**

Karin limped across the hall from the elevator to her small hotel room. She slid the key card into the slot, pushed down the handle and swung open the door. She stepped into her room and groped the wall for the light switch. When the lights above the vanity on the far side of the room snapped on, she shut and locked the door behind her, but not before placing the “do not disturb” sign on the door.

Grimacing with each step she took, she dragged herself the several feet from the door to the nearest bed and dropped down onto it face first with a grateful sigh. Flipping over, she laid an arm across her brow and stared blankly up at the ceiling hidden within the shadows of the small second-rate hotel.

Scrubbing her hands over her face, Karin sat up and stared down at her feet.

She could still hear the squealing tires and see Shindou’s six-year-old twin boys in the back of the car screaming and crying. The crunch and grind of metal against metal echoed in her mind. She could feel the jolts as she slammed her car into the Hyundai. The boy Shindou and Yuki-san had adopted had been in the driver’s seat. His face had been twisted into a mask of concentration and horror as he tried to gain control of the car. Then…

…And then…

Karin shook away the memories violently.

Suddenly, her pocket began to vibrate. Digging into the front of her black cargo pants, she pulled out her phone and read the LCD. It may have said “Unknown” but she knew who it was. There was only one person who would be calling her. She had half a mind not to answer the phone.

“Hello.”

“I heard,” said the familiar masculine voice over the line.

News travels fast, she thought, but they were talking about a world-renowned family here.

“Nice job,” came the mocking comment.

“Thanks,” she said blandly.

“That wasn’t a compliment,” Scott barked.

Karin winced.

“I thought I told you to get rid of Shindou! Not his kids!”

“…Well…”

Scott sighed heavily. “You’re not beginning to have second thoughts are you?”

Karin’s heart performed a summersault. “What? N-no! No of course not,” she insisted over her rapidly beating heart.

“…Hm…”

Karin gulped.

“But now you’re going to have to lay low for a while.”

“Huh?” Karin blinked stupidly. “But why-?”

“Idiot! Because of the stupid stunt you just pulled! That’s why!”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Sorry’s not gonna cut it, will it? Goddamnit! You just screwed up everything we’ve been working towards for months!”

Karin did not know what to say to that.

Scott sighed over the line again. “Alright. Here’s what you do…”

 

* * *

 

**Half an Hour Later - Somewhere in Upstate New York**

Stupid woman. What the hell was she thinking? Yes, it was a good strategy to get to Shindou through his family, but they did not have Shindou did they? What they had was a fucked up plan and she had been the one to screw it up. The police might not know what she looked like, or that she was even a she, but they did have her generalities and they even had the description of her car. Now with the damage to the front end of her car, it was going to be even more recognizable.

“Scott!”

The door of the mudroom burst open. A youngish looking woman with shoulder length dark brown, almost black, hair scurried into the room with a frantic look on her face.

Scott turned from the scenic view of the woods surrounding his sister’s cabin. “Matilda? Wha-?”

“You gotta get outta here!”

“What happened?” he demanded.

“I just heard from Sibilia! The police--They somehow found out you’re here! You gotta get outta here!”

Scott did not need to be told a second time. He tore out of the house, nearly ripping the already flabby door off its rusty hinges. Flying down the rickety back wooden staircase, he ripped across the overgrown lawn and within seconds vanished amongst the dense brush.

With a worried look on her face, Matilda stood in the doorway and continued to watch the spot where her brother had disappeared just as the sound of sirens approached the house.

“Good luck Brother,” she whispered.

 

* * *

 

**Same Time - En Route - Osaka, Japan**

He wished he had remained numb. Right now, he would not be feeling the tightness in his chest and the ache in his heart. His throat would not be stopped and his mind would not be racing at a million miles a minute. Shuichi slapped a hand over his mouth as a sob managed to wiggle its way through his lips as the hospital came into view. Tears prickled his eyes. A comforting hand slid up and down his back gently.

“They’ll be alright, Shu-chan,” Eiri whispered as he massaged Shuichi’s back. “They are our sons after all.”

Shuichi laughed through his tears. That they were. He dropped his head onto Eiri’s shoulder and sniffled. He was just so worried. Who would want to hurt a bunch of children-- _his_ children, his babies?

Oh, please let them be alright! Please!

Sobbing, Shuichi turned as much as the seatbelt Eiri had secured around him when they left the house would allow and buried his tear-hidden face into his husband’s shoulder. What was going on? Why was this happening? What had he ever done to deserve having his children ripped out of his arms? “Please, God, not again. Please! Not again!”

From the front seat of the van, Tohma took his eyes off the road just long enough to glance at his brothers-in-law in the rearview mirror. He would find out who was behind this and make sure they paid.

 

* * *

 

There it was.

Eiri’s throat closed. His anxiousness about learning the fate of his boys turned into dread as the hospital loomed large and imposing before him. He felt nauseous.

On a normal day, Osaka University Hospital was, more or less, a half an hour drive from their house in Nara, but on this day, the ride into the city seemed to stretch on forever.

Eiri could tell when Shuichi spotted the hospital when Shuichi’s death grip on his shirt tightened.

With a waterfall of tears sloshing down his wet face, Shuichi turned away from the sight and wept into Eiri’s shirt, praying to whatever higher power might be out there to spare his boys.

With one hand gently stroking Shuichi’s back, Eiri fingered some stray stands of hair out of his husband’s face with the other. He planted a chaste kiss on top of Shuichi’s head and whispered words of comfort in his ear.

Suddenly, a series of swift jolts stole Shuichi’s breath.

Hearing a hitch in his husband’s crying, Eiri grew immediately concerned. With Shuichi being pregnant, they had to be vigilant. Not only was he a pregnant male, which was extremely dangerous in and of itself, but it was a high risk pregnancy with him carrying triplets and because the nerves in his leg had not properly healed after the incident with Rinjin Yasashii nearly a decade ago, one misstep caused by his leg giving out along with the added stress of what they might discover when they reached the hospital could very well cause another miscarriage.

“Shuichi? What’s wrong?” he demanded lightly.

Shuichi’s hand flew to his swollen belly as the agitated movement continued. He shook his head. “Nothing.”

“Shu…” Eiri warned.

Shuichi continued to shake his head. “It’s nothing, Eiri. They just kicked me.” Kicked was an understatement. It felt more like there was a chorus line in his belly.

Eiri nodded slowly, though he was not sure if he believed his husband. Wrapping his arms around Shuichi, he drew him back against him. “They’ll be okay,” he promised, more to comfort himself than Shuichi. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw it. He glanced out the windshield and froze. “Damn,” he muttered. This was the last thing they needed. He watched the swarming mass waiting to greet them when they pulled up to the hospital in trepidation. “Tohma,” he drawled.

“I see them,” his brother-in-law said calmly from behind the wheel of the van. The Uesugi-Shindou family could not even sneeze without it making the headlines. He would expect no less then what was about to confront them.

As curious as he was, Shuichi did not want to see what kind of media circus would be meeting them. He had only one thing on his mind and that was getting to his boys.

 

* * *

 

**Home Lodge Hotel - Outside Osaka, Japan**

The darkened room appeared to be empty. The flickering light from the television set that sat on the dresser across from the bed in the small, second-rate hotel cast eerie shadows on the walls. The covers on the bed were thrown back and gathered at the foot of the bed haphazardly. A trail of clothes cut a path across the room to a shut door opposite the door that led out to the hallway. A thin strip of light shone out from underneath the door. A special news bulletin went unheard as the sounds of a shower rumbled from behind the closed door.

“We have breaking news out of the entertainment world this afternoon.”

There was a slight pause.

“It is being reported that Shindou Shuichi and Yuki Eiri’s adopted son, Kitazawa Riku, was taking his six year old twin brothers to do some last minute Christmas shopping when another vehicle apparently crashed into them from behind before fleeing the scene. Kitazawa lost control of the car and plowed into a pillar. He and his brothers were rushed to the Osaka University Hospital. Their conditions are unknown at this time.”

“The Osaka City Police Department is looking for the car seen fleeing the scene,” continued a different reporter. “It is a dark gray Honda Civic with tinted windows and would have severe damage to the front end and driver’s side. It was last seen heading eastbound out of the city. The police warn that if you spot this vehicle to call them immediately and not to approach it. The driver is to be considered armed and dangerous…

“In other news, Prime Minister…”

 

* * *

 

**Kyoto, Japan**

Digging into the dark, cavernous confines of what was more like a bottomless pit than a designer handbag she spent nearly all of last month’s wages on, Shido Hela grumbled as she strode with long, irate strides across the empty parking garage from the elevator to her car. Stray strands of hair wiggled free from the tight, severe bun at the nape of her neck and teased her face as the breeze began to pick up.

Today had not been the red-letter day her horoscope said it would be. It had been one thing after another. She was glad it was the end of the workday because she wanted nothing more then to go home and relax with a glass of fine wine and a nice bubble bath.

Finally finding her car keys, she pointed the little black device on her keychain at her car and deactivated the car locks. They unlocked with an echoing “ching”. After depositing her purse and briefcase in the backseat, Hela slid behind the wheel. Keying on the engine, she clicked on her seat belt then turned on the radio, switching the station to the news program “News Nation” that she always listened to on the way home from work. As she pulled carefully out of the parking slot, the deep voice of the station reporter spilled over the speakers and filled the small confines of her compact car.

“For those of you who are just tuning in, here is a recap of today’s top stories.”

Hela drove cautiously down the spiral ramp towards the exit.

“The Osaka City Police Department is looking for a dark gray Honda Civic this afternoon that was involved in a hit-and-run. The Honda Civic, witnesses claim, deliberately hit a car repeatedly that was occupied by three of Shindou Shuichi and Yuki Eiri’s children-”

That grabbed Hela’s immediate attention. She reached towards the radio and turned the volume up.

“-sending the car spiraling out of control towards a pillar in the parking garage in the parking lot near Kinokuniya. All three occupants were rushed to Osaka University Hospital. Their conditions are unknown at this time.”

“Oh, wow,” Hela breathed. She said a silent prayer for the family’s wellbeing. Suddenly, a car pulled out in front of her. She braked hard a hairsbreadth’s from T-boning the vehicle. “Come on,” she cried in growing agitation as she laid into the horn. “Where’d you learn to drive you moron?!” The incompetence of some people, she thought. The idiot wasn’t even looking! Today just was not her day.

The driver, who appeared to be a youngish looking woman, braked when she finally looked over her shoulder and saw Hela idling there, but Hela waved her on in annoyance.

“Might as well seeing as you’re already out,” she mocked.

The other driver raised her hand at her. Hela inclined her head slightly in return more out of politeness sake than anything.

“Jerk,” she added under her breath.

As she waited, Hela’s attention was caught by a dark colored car in the parking space besides the now vacant one the car she had allowed to pull out of had been in.

“The car,” the news reporter was saying, “is a dark gray Honda Civic with lightly tinted windows and would have severe damage to both the front end and driver’s side. It was seen heading east out of the city…”

The reporter’s voice faded as Hela’s full attention turned to the car before her. She was no car expert, far from it. She could not tell the difference between a Toyota and a Mitsubishi, so she had no idea what a Honda looked like, but what she did know was that this car was dark gray in color, looking almost black in the gloomy parking garage, had tinted windows and had massive damage to its front end and along the driver’s side.

Putting the car in park and flicking on her hazard lights, she flung off her seatbelt and pulled her purse onto her lap. Digging through its crowded borders, she found her cellphone. Her heart was pounding as she dialed the number for the police.

She was not sure if this was the car they were searching for, but it was better to waste the police’s time and look like a fool when she turned out to be wrong than to ignore the slim possibility that it was the car and be racked by guilt for the rest of her life for doing nothing when she could have done something.

 

* * *

 

Someone had spotted the black Honda Civic that the Osaka City Police Department was looking for abandoned in a parking garage in the heart of downtown Kyoto, just like dozens of other people who had seen it since the news stations had reported the police were looking for it. As he had been the closest to the scene, a mere five minutes away, Officer Ehara had been dispatched to check out the anonymous tip they had received. He was not holding his breath, though. Nine times out of ten, these so-called “leads” lead nowhere.

When he arrived and gave the car in question a quick once over, he understood why the tipster had been so sure that this was the car they were searching for. Yes, the car was a dark gray Honda Civic with tinted windows, but that did not meant this was the car in question, but then he saw the extensive damage to the front and driver’s side and he knew the odds just skyrocketed.

Officer Ehara ran the plates. From prior experience, he knew in situations like these the car was going to either have been reported stolen around the time of the incident or someone had switched the vehicles plates, but the information that popped onto the screen proved his assumptions wrong. Not only had the car not been reported stolen, but the plates were registered for a dark gray 2002 Honda Civic, the same car filling his windshield.

With a snort, he shook his head. This guy was obviously no pro. The driver had no priors and no traffic violations, not even a parking ticket. His record was so clean it squeaked.

Ehara whistled.

Was this really the person they were after for the hit and run on the Uesugi-Shindou kids? Maybe if it had been an accident and the perpetrator had panicked, or something, then he would believe this was the person they were after, but according to the eyewitnesses, it had been no accident. So why would someone who appeared to be so “saintly”, as it were, deliberately try to run a bunch of innocent children off the road? Had it been a case of road rage? He had seen that before, but never to this extent, though he heard horror stories from other cops, so it was not out of the question.

“Rinjin,” the officer sounded the name out loud. His forehead scrunched in thought. Where had he heard that name before? He typed the name into the computer and the answer popped onto the screen. “Rinjin Yasashii--Deceased,” he paraphrased from the report.

Now he remembered. This was the guy who stalked Shindou. He ended up murdering Shindou’s two bodyguards before abducting Shindou as he was leaving for the recording studio. The guy held the singer captive and tried to murder him. There was a struggle. The railing, which had been loose, snapped under their weight, sending Rinjin and Shindou plummeting from the second floor of the condo. Rinjin’s neck snapped in the fall. He died instantly. Shindou had been left temporary paralyzed.

“Only living relative is Rinjin Karin.” The owner of the Honda, Ehara realized with a start. “Relationship to the deceased--Sister.”

Sister? If she blamed Shindou for her brother’s death, then that certainly would explain a lot.

He called in to dispatch about his find.

This woman had to be stopped. She may not be a pro, but she was dangerous. That was evident in the fact that she had no problem going after three innocent children and attempting to commit vehicular manslaughter--murder if she had this planned. If she would go that far, then what else would she do?

 

* * *

 

**Osaka University Hospital - Osaka, Japan**

Shuichi was not sure how they knew they were inside the van pulling up to the emergency room entrance at Osaka University Hospital. The van was brand new, it being an early Christmas present from the Seguchis, and had darkly tinted windows. But as soon as Tohma turned off the busy main street and drove up towards the emergency room doors under the carport on the west side of the hospital, the mass of media personnel swarmed the van like vultures who had spotted a quick, easy meal. Shuichi cringed away from the sight and buried his face in Eiri’s shirt. This was not something he wanted to have to deal with right now. All he wanted was to see his boys.

Eiri tightened his hold on Shuichi. “Seguchi…!”

“Don’t worry,” Tohma assured his brother’s-in law. “It’s been taken care of.”

Eiri was not sure what that meant, but he trusted his sister’s husband.

 

* * *

 

**Somewhere in Upstate New York**

“What am I being arrested for?” Matilda shouted angrily. “I didn’t do nothin’.”

“Matilda Schild, you are under arrest for suspicion of aiding and abetting a fugitive.”

“You can’t prove nothin’!”

Matilda Schild struggled against the handcuffs chewing into her wrists that trapped her hands behind her back and fought against the solid grips of the officers on either side of her as they dragged her kicking and screaming to the awaiting patrol car.

As long as her brother got away, she did not care what happened to her.

The woman officer on her right said, “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand each of these rights I have explained to you? Having these rights in mind, do you wish to talk to us now?” (1)

Matilda ignored the swarm of police officers surrounding and invading her house. The news, both local and national, was disregarded. Her neighbors went unobserved, but she caught sight of Sibilia in the crowd and caught her eye briefly. Sibilia gave the slightest of nods.

Matilda sneered as anther patrol car pulled into the drive. They could bring any amount of their comrades as they wanted, but it would do them no good. Her brother was long gone by now. She went white when she read what was written on the side of the car. It was a K-9 unit. She prayed as she was put none-too-gently into the backseat of the police car.

Please, be safe out there, she thought to her brother.

 

* * *

  
  
Scott ripped through the thicket of undergrowth and tore past the abundant foliage, tripping over clumps of vines and exposed roots. Things reached out for him like hungry hands, scratching and clawing at his face, ripping at the button up shirt he had “borrowed” from a laundry mat; it would not do to be seen in his prison uniform as he was trying to avoid being sent back to jail. He flew through the forest like a lunatic, panic surging through him. Sweat danced on his skin, soaking through his shirt. His heart was pounding, beating hard against his ribcage.

Suddenly the ground underneath him vanished and he found himself staring down a ten-foot high overhang. He reached out blindly and was able to grab the trunk of a nearby tree. Hugging the tree for dear life, his pulse pounding in terror, he glanced with wide eyes over the jut. Below him was what he assumed was a dried up stream.

Risking a swift glance over his shoulder, a huge surge of relief swept through him when he saw that nobody appeared to be chasing after him. He sagged back against the tree and doubled over with his hands on his thighs and his head hung low, panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath.

Scott glanced back over his shoulder in the general direction of his sister’s cabin. He was worried about her. He had not known what to expect when he showed up at her door, but luckily, she welcomed him warmly and had even agreed to hide him until things settled down. Unfortunately, it seems that not everybody was as generous as Matilda was. He had to remember to thank Sibilia, his sister’s neighbor and best friend since childhood, for giving them a heads up. A second later and he would even now be watching these woods through the backseat window of a New York State Police patrol car.

No. He refused to return to prison until the job was done. Shindou had to pay for what he did to his little girl.

Maybe what that idiot girl did was a good thing after all. He’d yelled at her for screwing up their plans, but now that he thought about it, it was tit for tat was it not? Shindou killed his only child and now with the help of Karin, Shindou was even now experiencing the same pain he has been suffering through for the past decade. He was raised to believe that two wrongs did not make a right. He knew doing this was not going to bring back his baby girl, but Deborah needed to be able to rest in peace and this was the only way to ease her suffering.

A sudden blinding flash of lightening illuminated the entire area briefly as if it were the middle of the day, taking him by complete surprise. Then there was a deafening explosion of thunder that ripped through the night air. Scott cried out as the ground suddenly gave away beneath him. He watched helplessly as the ground rushed up to meet him. All the air was pushed out of his lungs in one fell swoop as he slammed hard into the ground. He covered his head with his arms as wooden shards rained down around him.

When all was quiet again, he glanced behind him. Where just seconds before he had been standing was nothing more then the chard remains of what had been a tree.

The distant yelp of a dog slashed through the almost unnatural stillness that had followed the explosion.

“Shit,” he hissed.

His heart jumping out of his chest, he ignored the buzzing in his ear and the annoying trickle down his cheek and staggered to his feet. He tore across the long gone stream into the thick grove of trees, pushing past the branches and undergrowth as they tried to hold him back.

The night sky flashed strobe-like with brilliant light. The air rumbled with a clap of thunder.

With a surprised yelp, he tripped over an exposed root. Regaining his balance and cursing soundly, he pushed back to his feet and continued his flight through the nearly impenetrable forest just as the sky opened above him and hard pellets of water rained down upon him in sheets.

Dammit! This was all he needed!

 

* * *

 

**Home Lodge Hotel - Outside Osaka, Japan**

The elevator dinged as it arrived from the basement where the vending and ice machines were located, sounding unnaturally loud in the silence of the hotel. The doors slid open and Georg Henri, a graduate student studying Japanese History, stepped out of the elevator as the doors slid open. His eyes landed on who he assumed was a woman given her stature. He inclined his head in greeting. “Evening.”

The woman mumbled something as she forced her way passed Georg onto the elevator.

Georg, as he started walking down the hall towards his room, glanced curiously over his shoulder and studied the woman. She seemed to be favoring one of her legs. Her head was lowered, causing her long blond hair to swing forward and veil her face. He could tell it was dyed because her black roots were starting to show. Her jeans were shabby and baggy. Sneakers that once were white were now grey with dirt and grim. The collar of her coat was turned up, shielding the lower portion of her face.

As the elevator doors began to close, Georg caught a brief glimpse of her face as she reached out towards the elevator buttons. Her eyes were blood shot and red rimmed. They appeared to be slightly puffy from what he assumed was a long stint at crying. He was wondering if he should go see if there was anything he could do for her when the elevator doors closed.

Shrugging the strange occurrence off, Georg pulled out his key card from the back pocket of his jeans and slid it into the slot. He pushed down the silver handle and flung open the door. Groping the wall besides the door, the track lights above the sink on the far side of the room went on. Stepping into the room, he closed the door behind him. Walking through the small, closet sized room, he rounded the bed and grabbed the TV remote off the bedside table where it sat besides the phone and the courtesy menu that had long since been out of date. He dimly heard the sound of a television from the room besides his as he pointed the remote at the television.

“-na was outraged today as President Bush awarded the Dalai Lama the Congressional Gold Medal in a Capitol Hill Ceremony, the highest civilian honor,” came the voice of the news anchor. “While the Dalai Lama claims that this high honor brings joy to the Tibetan people, Beijing is saying that the Bush-Lama meeting hurt the feelings of the Chinese people. Chinese leaders wanted Bush to call off the meeting because they believe that the exiled Buddhist leader is a separatist and is pushing for independence for the Tibetan people, though the Dalai-Lama in his speech today said he wants sovereignty for Tibet under Chinese rule. China calls this a gross interference in Chinese affairs…”

Georg tossed the remote onto the bed and disappeared into the bathroom.

“…And this just in. The Osaka City Police are looking for this woman, 35 year old Rinjin Karin.”

A picture of a small woman with golden blonde dyed hair, high cheekbones and full lips under an aquiline nose flashed onto the screen.

“She is believed to have been the driver of the car that was involved in a hit and run accident earlier today involving three of Shindou Shuichi and Yuki Eiri’s children. According to sources close to the investigation, Rinjin Karin is the sister of Rinjin Yasashii, the man who several years ago stalked the singer…”

 

* * *

 

Endou Takayuki swung his legs off the desk and folding his arms on the cluttered desktop, studied the image of the girl on the screen.

“…If you have any information relating to the whereabouts of this individual, please contact the Osaka City Police’s confidential tip line at 0990…”

Takayuki’s frown deepened. Pushing away from the desk, he stood up and made his way out of the office to the front desk. The only sound in the deserted lobby was the sound of clacking keys.

“Damn,” he whispered as he reached for the phone.

“Osaka Police Department Confidential Tip Line,” came the calm voice over the line.

“Yeah, this is Endou Takayuki from the Home Lodge Hotel. That woman you’re searching for? That woman who was involved in that hit-and-run? I believe she may be staying here at the hotel.”

There was the sound of a pencil scratching. “You believe this individual is staying at-”

“The Home Lodge Hotel right outside the city, yes.”

“Okay, Sir, please hold while I transfer you to the detective in charge.”

 

* * *

 

**Somewhere in Upstate New York**

He was suddenly staring down the barrels of countless guns.

It was a freak storm. It appeared out of nowhere and disappeared just as quickly. There was still a distant rumble of thunder and the occasional flash of lightening, but as soon as the torrential rains had subsided, they appeared out of nowhere like Green Men--and not the ones from Mars.

Scott slid on the slick undergrowth as he halted his hurried flight. Catching his balance, he straightened slowly and glanced around him. They were suddenly everywhere. He was surrounded. The rain that had been coming down in buckets until just seconds ago had concealed their movements from him. He swiped at droplets of water that dribbled from his hair plastered to his face. His clothes were completely soaked through and sticking to him. His breath was coming out in white puffs in the chilly early winter morning.

Beams from dozens of flashlights cut through the fog that was beginning to roll into the valley. Behind him, police dogs jerked on their leads at him, snarling viciously. They looked like they wanted to tear him to pieces. Their handlers could barely hold the dogs back.

Scott shied away from them.

He has had an intense dislike of dogs since he was a boy. One day when he was taking a short cut home, from where he could not remember, a pit-bull the owner of a pizza parlor brought to work with him everyday, a dog that snarled and barked at every single person who happened by, broke loose and chased after him. It bit his arm before running off. It did not bite hard enough to break the skin or leave teeth imprints, but it certainly left an impression.

Dozens of voices shouted at him from everywhere, each one speaking as one, each voice shouting over the others in order to be heard.

“Give it up Keene! There’s nowhere for you to go! You’re surrounded!”

“Hands where we can see them!”

“Get on the ground! Get on the fucking ground! Now!”

There was nowhere for him to go.

He could stand and fight what would be a losing battle, but one look at those sadistic looking creatures behind him and he was on his knees in the muck and lacing his hands behind his head. He snarled and glared at the state troopers as they crept close cautiously with their guns pointed at him, just in case he should try something. Doesn’t he wish he could?

Goddamned son of a bitch, he cursed in his head. It was all up to Rinjin now. She’d better finish the job too.  


* * *

 

**Osaka University Hospital - Osaka, Japan**

Much to Eiri’s surprise, Tohma drove the van right by the emergency room without slowing down. Eiri glanced over his shoulder out the back window as the gaggle of reporters and photographers who had gathered around the emergency room entrance hoping for the slightest glimpse of the infamous couple grew smaller. The various news crews, realizing their mistake--or so they thought--as to the occupants of the van, drew back and went back into waiting mode. Eiri smirked. Idiots, he thought. “Hey,” he called out to his brother-in-law. “What the hell are you doing? The ER was back there.” Not that he particularly cared, not with the vultures from hell guarding the entrance.

“I know,” Tohma replied cryptically.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean? Where are you taking us?”

Hearing all this, Shuichi cautiously raised his head and saw that they were driving around the back of the hospital. Straightening, he rubbed at his tear stained face with the palm of his hand.

They drove by the adult care facility which was attached to the rear of the hospital then passed the loading docks and finally ended up at the east side entrance which was on the opposite side from where the emergency room was located.

Tohma pulled the van up under the carport. He turned around as much as his seatbelt would allow and glanced at Eiri behind him. “Told you it was taken care of.”

Eiri snorted.

Tohma’s glance shifted from Eiri to Shuichi. His signature know-it-all smirk slipped slightly. “Are you alright, Shindou-kun?”

Shuichi placed a hand over his belly and swallowed a grimace. “I want to see my boys,” was all the young singer said.

Tohma nodded.

“Those wouldn’t happen to be yours would they?” Eiri asked his brother-in-law.

Shuichi and Tohma glanced out the van’s side windows and saw a group of men and women emerging from the hospital. There were six of them, three women and three men, all were dressed in black, all carried guns. Eiri wondered how Tohma managed to pull that one off, seeing as the only legal gun was a toy one, but Seguchi Tohma could get away with murder, and Eiri was sure he has, if he bribed or blackmailed the right people.

Tohma just smiled mysteriously.

Eiri gave his sister’s husband a look that said it all.

Tohma chuckled. As he opened the driver’s side door, one of the women stepped forward. She bowed as Tohma stepped out of the van and onto the sidewalk before slipping behind the wheel.

Eiri slid open the van’s side door and helped his expectant partner, who was clutching his swollen belly, out of the van.

After Eiri slid the van’s side door closed, the van pulled away and circled the parking lot.

“Eiri-kun, Shindou-kun, they will be your guards,” Tohma introduced the remaining five.

Shuichi’s eye went wide. Guards? Why would they need bodyguards?

It was then that he remembered Eiri’s reaction when he mentioned that he saw the same car earlier today outside their house that he saw at his grandfather’s funeral.

Then there was that mysterious package that came in the mail last month that Eiri refused to talk about. Now his boys had been in a serious accident. Was it all somehow connected? It had to be. You cannot watch as much television as he has and not picked up a few things.

And who was this mysterious “her” that Eiri had mentioned before they left Nara? Did it have to do with that package? Was it linked to the accident?

The wheels in Shuichi’s head started spinning. Something was definitely going on, something that Eiri was not telling him and it obviously had something to do with the near fatal accident that almost killed his boys.

“I’m sure we’ll be fine in a hospital, Seguchi.”

The sound of his husband’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

“Humor me,” Tohma was saying. He indicated the bodyguards with a sweep of his hand. “You remember Marcus and Blade.”

Eiri turned his attention to the two black men who stepped forward.

“I’m sorry we have to meet again under these circumstances, Sir,” Marcus said as he shook hands with Eiri. He inclined his head at Shuichi. “Sir.”

Shuichi stared at Marcus flabbergasted.

“You speak Japanese now?” Eiri asked the man.

The boys were learning English in school and after much pleading and begging from Shuichi, Eiri started tutoring him to help improve his English. He gave up halfway through their very first lesson. Now Eiri knew why the baka nearly failed school. It was not that Shuichi was stupid; in fact if Shuichi had applied himself like he had in music and PE, then he might have become valedictorian, salutatorian or at least made it into the top ten of his class. Hell, the baka could have made it into the top one-hundred. Shuichi’s problem was that he just suffered from a serious case of short attention span syndrome, on top of being borderline bi-polar and suffering from severe bouts of depression and possibly multiple personalities, and had a very limited list of things that interested him; things that he cared to spend more than five seconds on.

“Perfectly,” Tohma replied. “I made sure they took some classes.”

Marcus and Blade had been hired as Shuichi’s bodyguards after Jacob and Koji were murdered by Rinjin Yasashii. At the time, neither one could speak Japanese outside of a few key phrases. It had been a good thing that Eiri was able to speak English flawlessly; he didn’t even have a hint of an accent.

“I’m sorry to hear about your boys,” Blade said when he shook hands with Eiri.

Eiri’s heart gave a painful lurch, but his face betrayed nothing. He figured it was due to hanging around Tohma all of these years. At least one good thing came out of the older man being where he was not wanted.

“This is Satoshi.”

Tohma indicated a man that reminded Eiri a lot of Koji, small and weak looking, but if this Satoshi was anything like Koji than his frail appearance hid a world of hurt. Otherwise, Tohma would never have hired him.

Satoshi inclined his head at the couple.

“That buxom beauty with the snow white hair is Maki.” Tohma indicated the woman that was walking towards them. It was the woman who parked the van.

“Better not let my sister hear you say that,” Eiri warned his brother-in-law. Mika was bossy, hard headed, and tough as nails and took nothing from nobody. She was the only one who would ever dare stand up to one Seguchi Tohma, besides Shuichi, but that was different; Shuichi was an idiot.

Tohma petted the air. “Not to worry. Mika knows she is the only one for me.”

Eiri shuttered. That was something he would rather have not known. It was like finding out your parent’s had a sex life.

“This is Kaoru.” Tohma waved his hand at a woman with short-cropped hair. “And Sanami.” The third female guard had long black hair slicked back into a ponytail. “They will escort you to your boys.”

Tears prickled Shuichi’s violet eyes. “Thank you, Tohma.” He bowed.

Tohma inclined his head in return.

“Come on Shu-chan.” Eiri reached out for him. Taking Shuichi’s hand, he laced their fingers together. The six men in black circled around them as they stepped through two sets of automated doors into the hospital.

Shuichi halted just inside the second set of automated doors. His sudden immobilization forced Eiri to jerk to an immediate halt besides him.

“Shu?” Eiri glanced down at his partner with concern. “Wha-?”

“I want to know everything,” Shuichi said with an emotionless voice.

Eiri blinked. “What?”

Shuichi turned to face his lover and father of his children. “Everything. I want to know everything that you’re not telling me.”

Suddenly getting the meaning of what Shuichi was saying, Eiri gulped and nodded. He should have been open and honest with him from the very beginning, but his old habit of doing everything he could to protect the singer was a hard thing to ignore.

“Sirs?” Marcus called out to them.

“Yes, we’re coming,” Eiri told the other man. He gave Shuichi’s hand a little squeeze and escorted the contingent up to the front desk.

 

* * *

 

**Home Lodge Hotel - Outside Osaka, Japan**

The sounds of the television could be heard over the rumblings of the shower as they drew nearer. It certainly sounded like someone was in there.

One of the uniformed officers glanced over the partial wall to his left down two stories to the lobby and pulled immediately back. He did not suffer from vertigo but staring straight down thirty plus feet with nothing more than a flimsy looking half wall, even if it was nearly five feet high, would make anyone a little light headed.

Takayuki used his master key to open the hotel room door. He stepped aside, plastering himself against the wall as the police swarmed the room with their weapons drawn. He inched his way out of the way.

Other then the light that was shinning out from under the bathroom door, the only light in the room came from the television that had been left on to the local news station.

“...And the Spice Girls are back...!”

The room was not much larger than a broom closet so it did not take long to conduct a thorough search. The room was empty.

“Shit,” Detective Shigeno Shin cursed. “Clear!”

Detective Misawa Ren stood with his gun at the ready before the bathroom door. He motioned for one of the officers. The door was flung open. Detective Misawa rushed inside the steam-filled bathroom. Water thundered down from the showerhead into the bathtub. He could not see any sort of silhouette behind the shower curtain. He suddenly had a bad feeling. But just in case, Detective Misawa reached out for the shower curtain cautiously. Grabbing hold of it, he tore it open. “Dammit,” he cursed. He lowered his gun. He knew it! “Clear!” he called.

They were too late.

 

* * *

 

“Are you sure, Mr. Henri? Take another look,” Detective Misawa told the graduate student.

The woman in the elevator flashed through Georg’s mind. “Yeah,” he nodded as he studied the picture. “Yeah. This’s the woman I saw,” he told the officer.

“Are you absolutely certain?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Thank you, Mr. Henri.”

Georg nodded and watched the swarm of officers curiously before disappearing back into his room, wondering what all the fuss was about.

“What you find out?” Detective Shigeno asked as his partner joined him.

Detective Misawa shook his head. “She’s long gone. This guy,” he pointed over his shoulder at Georg Henri’s room, “saw her a little while ago getting onto the elevator.”

Detective Shigeno nodded. They had expected as much.

“She doesn’t change the plates on her car and checks in under her own name. She’s either very stupid or very smart.”

“Well, considering that she always seems to be one step ahead of us, I think that would be the latter.”

They knew that all criminals made mistakes; that was how they were eventually caught--they became careless. However, this woman was different. It seemed like she did not care whether she was caught or not. In fact, she was deliberately making sure everybody knew whom she was and what she was doing. She was shoving it in their faces. Was it in fact true that she was out for revenge for the death of her brother? If that was the case, then they had a very dangerous criminal on their hands.

“Excuse me, Officers?” came a heavily accented voice.

Detectives Misawa and Shigeno turned to find Georg Henri sticking his head out of his room.

“Mr. Henri?”

“What can we do for you?”

Georg stepped out of his room. “I don’t know if it’ll be any help, but I remember something about that girl you were asking me about.”

Detectives Misawa and Shigeno exchanged a glance.

 

* * *

 

**Osaka University Hospital - Osaka, Japan**

Excusing himself, Tohma stepped out of the air conditioned lobby into the sweltering heat and pulled out his cellphone.

“Ah, Seguchi-san,” a male voice greeted over the line. “I was just about to call you.”

Tohma perked up. “What’s happened?” he asked the man.

“Actually, Sir, Keene was just arrested about a mile from the home of his sister.”

Tohma felt his mood lighten ever so slightly. “His sister’s?”

“Yes, Sir. It seems his sister, Matilda Schild, was hiding him. She’s been taken into custody and will most likely be charged with aiding and abetting a fugitive.”

Tohma’s grip on his cellphone tightened. His knuckles turned white. Fury hardened his expression. So his information had been correct. Sympathizers had been hiding the attempted murderer. Family or not, how could someone deliberately harbor a man who tried to kill someone else out of some twisted sense of revenge? It was not like there was the slightest chance that Keene was innocent. He had been caught red handed. Then again, if this Matilda Schild woman were of the same mind as her brother, then that would explain why she would conceal Keene.

“The police apparently received an anonymous tip that Keene was spotted lurking around his sister’s house. They’re not absolutely positive, but they believe that the anonymous caller was in fact Albert Schild, Keene’s brother-in-law.”

That peaked Tohma’s curiosity. “You don’t say.”

“Yes, Sir. Apparently, Albert Schild works nights for the New York State Department of Transportation and according to my sources, there’s been bad blood between them for years since before Keene’s arrest.”

This was perfect. One down and one to go. “Has the suspect who nearly killed my nephews been identified?”

“Yes, Sir, she has.”

“She?”

“Yes, Sir. They have yet to confirm that it was actually her, but as of right now the police believe that Rinjin Karin is behind the hit-and-run incident.”

Tohma’s blood froze. He forgot to breathe. “Is she…?” Part of him was not sure if really wanted to know.

“Yes, Sir. I’m afraid that she is.”

Forgetting himself, Tohma cursed. She was indeed the same Rinjin Karin he had been told about not more than an hour ago who has been in contact with Scott Keene for the past seven or eight years.

Things were beginning to click into place.

Was Rinjin the woman Eiri had been referring to earlier? If so, then why did he not say anything? Why did Eiri not come to him for help? Why had he let it go this far? There was something more going on then he was privy to and before this day was over, he would find out what that something was.

“Her car was found abandoned in a parking garage in downtown Kyoto.”

Tohma perked up instantly. “And?” he prodded.

“And a witness came forward claiming to have seen her in a hotel outside Osaka, but by the time the police arrived she was already gone.”

“…Gone.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“…They let her go.” Tohma’s voice had gone very soft and even.

“Yes, Sir. But-!”

Tohma raised an eyebrow.

“They believe that she couldn’t have gone too far!”

“Oh?”

“The witness claims she was limping like she hurt her leg and with her face plastered everywhere, someone is bound to spot her.”

It seems his nephews had not been the only ones hurt in the crash. “So, what you are telling me is that she is still in the city.”

“Yes, Sir. They believe that she is.”

“I want her found and taken care of. Now!”

Tohma snapped his phone shut, ending the call without waiting for a response. He fisted the phone in anger. If she was indeed still in the city, then it was possible that she might be even now be making her way here to finish what she started.

Spinning on his heels, his long trench coat flying out around him, Tohma marched into the hospital.

 

* * *

 

Panic surged through Shuichi. The beating of his heart was the only thing he could hear. His legs carried him faster and ever faster as Marcus and Blade guided them through the winding, twisting maze-like halls of the hospital from the eastside where they entered to the emergency room on the westside where the woman at the front desk told them they would find their boys. She had called ahead to inform the emergency room that they were heading in their direction.

Satoshi and Maki flanked them on either side while Kaoru and Sanami protected them from the rear.

The closer the ER became, the more urgency and panicked Shuichi became. He forgot about all the secrets his husband was keeping from him. His sole focus became finding his children. His chest felt tight. With a lump lodged in his throat, tears prickling his eyes and blurring his vision and an ache in his heart, Shuichi burst through yet another set of swinging doors.

“I want Mama!”

“Mama!”

Gasping, his eyes going wide, Shuichi’s heart just about stopped as he heard the unmistakable cries. “Keitaro. Kane!”

He would know his boys’ voices anywhere. His heart beating a wild tattoo, Shuichi dropped his husband’s hand and shoved his way through Marcus and Blade and, ignoring their voices calling out to him, Shuichi, with one arm wrapped around his belly, followed the whimpering as fast as his pregnant self could carry him passed a curtained area where muffled hurried voices could be heard. He barely heard Eiri and the contingent of guards following behind him.

Shuichi crossed over another threshold and panting heavily, found himself in an open area with a dozen beds lining the far wall. Doctors in long, white lab coats and nurses in brightly colored uniforms scurried about here and there. He paid them no mind as they glanced at him briefly in passing as he stood there searching the open room.

“Shuichi,” scolded Eiri as he finally caught up to the younger man, panting lightly. He would have to start working out again. It was either that or quit smoking again. He was not sure which one was the more evil of the two.

Shuichi’s eyes lit up. There!

“I know you’re-”

Without hearing a word Eiri said, Shuichi took off across the recovery room towards a curtained area.

“Hey! Shuichi!” Sighing heavily, Eiri motioned for the guards and they followed the runaway singer. He was just as worried about Riku, Keitaro and Kane as Shuichi was, but Shuichi needed to take it easy. All this stress over the boys could not be good for Shuichi in his current condition.

Shuichi reached the far side of the recovery room where the whimpering was coming from and tore aside the curtain. His hands flew to his mouth as he gasped, tears streamed down his cheeks. “Keitaro! Kane!”

Two blond little heads turned towards him, their gleaming golden eyes bloodshot. Their hysterical sobbing was instantly cut short. “Mama!” came the chorus of voices

Overwhelmed, Shuichi collapsed to his knees as Keitaro and Kane jumped down from the hospital bed and flung themselves into Shuichi’s outstretched arms. Shuichi held them and cried, rocking back and forth. His babies were okay. They were okay. At first, Shuichi thought he was seeing things when he saw them sitting on the bed when he opened the curtains, but having Keitaro and Kane in his arms again made the dream a reality. He thought watching them drive off earlier with Riku to do some last minute Christmas shopping was going to be the last time he saw them, but everything was going to be okay now.

Eiri fought to keep his tears at bay as he watched Shuichi reunited with their boys.

“Uesugi-san? Shindou-san?”

Eiri turned to see a smiling man in a white lab coat and a stethoscope hanging around his neck walking in their direction.

“I’m Dr. Li Ikuo.”

Inclining his head in greeting, Eiri shook the doctor’s hand.

Dr. Li was an older man slightly taller then Eiri with salt and pepper hair. His eyes behind the glasses were sharp and dark. His tanned faced was deeply lined.

“How are my boys, Doc?” Eiri asked.

He turned and watched Shuichi, who was weeping openly as he hugged the twins so tightly they would probably need a crowbar to pry them apart. The twin’s loud wails echoed miserably in the stale environment. Four of the guards, two of them Marcus and Blade, surrounded them. Satoshi and Maki had remained with him.

“Other than some relatively minor cuts and bruises, both Keitaro and Kane will be fine.”

It was a clichéd saying, but it did feel as if he had been holding weights ever since news of the accident reached him and now that he knew that his boys were truly going to be all right, those weights had been lifted. A huge surge of relief flooded through him.

“They may suffer from some whiplash and some other aches and pains in the morning due to the accident,” Dr. Li was saying, “so I’m going to prescribe some aspirin for them.”

“That’s fine,” Eiri nodded. “Hm?” He glanced over his shoulder when he heard his husband’s soft, melodious voice. A gentle smile graced his face. Somehow, Shuichi had been able to pry the boys off him long enough to get up off the floor. They were even now lounging on the bed, the boys clinging to Shuichi like there was no tomorrow. Their hysterical sobs were lessening as their otokasan, or “mama” when they were either sick or scared, sang softly to them. They looked just about ready to call it a night. Who could blame them after the day they’ve had? Speaking of his boys… “What about Riku?” he asked Dr. Li turning back towards the man.

“Ah! Yes. Kitazawa-san. He is in surgery.”

Eiri froze. His eyes went wide. In surgery? His heart starting beating wildly in his chest. “Is he okay?” He’d read a study on line from one of the local universities some time ago that claimed that the safest place to be in a car during an accident was in the back seat. The safest place in the backseat was in the middle, which strangely enough was the least popular site in a vehicle to sit. From that, he would assume that the least safe place in a car during an accident was more than likely the driver’s seat.

“He’s being taken care of by Dr. Amada Hirofumi so I don’t know much about his condition, but I do know that he may have suffered some spinal injuries during the accident.”

Eiri went white. He felt woozy.

“Someone will be out here to talk to you shortly,” Dr. Li told the distraught father. He patted Eiri lightly on the shoulder and turning, vanished down the hall, leaving Eiri to try to cope with the devastating news.

Eiri turned slowly to watch his husband and their sons. How was he supposed to tell Shuichi that Riku might have been left paralyzed in the crash?

 

**…To Be Continued…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Find out more about the Miranda Rights, the different versions different states use and the equivalents from around the world at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miranda_warning
> 
> A/N: For those who do not know, Upstate New York refers to all of New York State minus New York City and Long Island, which is referred to as Downstate. I live in North Tonawanda, New York, which is a region of Upstate New York referred to as Western New York (the western third of Upstate New York). Does that make sense?


	10. Her Package

**Chapter 10: Her Package**

**That Evening - Shindou Residence - Hokkaido, Japan**

As soon as she and her two young children stepped into the house, the phone rang. Its shrill tones filled the cramped, but newly renovated confines of the apartment. With a curse, Maiko hopped through the foyer trying to pry her sneakers off as she juggled with an armload of shopping bags.

“Chiaki, help your brother take his shoes off please,” she told her daughter who was unzipping her heavy winter coat with its faux fur lining.

“Okay,” her daughter complied. Chiaki hung her coat on its hook besides her book bag and then turned towards her two-year-old brother. “Come here, Subaru,” she said, grabbing hold of him as he tried to step into the house without removing his shoes.

Subaru protested.

“We gotta take your shoes off and then you can watch _Blue’s Clues_.”

She said the magic words. Two-year-old Subaru started talking up a storm to his older sister about one of his favorite television shows as Chiaki started to take off his outerwear.

Meanwhile, Maiko continued to struggle with removing her shoes as the phone’s continuous reverberations sounded more and more hysterical.

Finally free of the hindering feet adornments and loaded down with her shopping bags, Maiko rushed through the house and fishtailed into the kitchen. Tossing the bags onto the kitchen counters, ignoring the several that flopped onto the floor, their contents spewing everywhere, she slid on stockinged feet across the slick tiled floor and grabbed the phone mid-ring. “Hello?” she breathed breathless. “Hel-?” She pulled the phone away from her ear as the dial tone buzzed in her ear. “Guess not.” She replaced the receiver. She was bent over her shopping bags, returning their spilled contents into their bags when her daughter skipped into the kitchen with her little brother in tow.

“Who was it Mommy?” Chiaki asked as she crossed the kitchen towards the dining room.

“Don’t know,” Maiko said. “They hung up.”

“Oh.” Chiaki pulled out one of the stools and perched herself at the bar peninsula looking back into the kitchen.

“Oh, dear,” Maiko exclaimed as she caught sight of her son’s hair as he played with the magnetic characters on the refrigerator. Subaru’s mop of black hair was electrified and sticking on end. Maiko guessed it was because of his hat. Maiko giggled. “Come here, Subaru,” she continued to laugh. “Poor Baby.” Picking her son up, she balanced him on her hip and made her way to the sink. Setting him on the lip of the stainless steel sink, she turned on the faucet enough so that the water just barely trickled out. Wetting her hands, she ran her fingers through her son’s frizzy hair. Subaru reminded her of Shuichi. She could remember when they were younger and Shuichi’s hair would look all frazzled like this in the morning.

“He looks funny Mommy!” Chiaki commented from behind her.

“He sure does.”

“Oo!” Chiaki exclaimed when the phone started to ring again. “Can I get it, Mommy?”

“No, I’ll get it,” Maiko said.

Chiaki whined in disappointment.

Maiko picked Subaru up and crossed the kitchen. “Do you have any homework?”

“I got some math,” Chiaki said. Her mood did a complete one-eighty. “Kitsuki-sensi said that if we didn’t finish in class, we had to do it at home and bring it in tomorrow. You have to sign it too.”

Maiko nodded. “Okay. Then go get your backpack and bring it to the counter.”

“Okay!”

Maiko picked up the portable extension and pressed the talk button as her daughter skipped out of the kitchen. “Hello?”

“Maiko?” came the static-filled voice over the line.

“Ma?”

Subaru began squirming so Maiko walked to the living room and shut the baby gate behind her. It was the same type of gate her brother had scattered throughout his house.

“Was that you who called a minute ago?” she asked her mother.

Subaru ran on his short, chubby legs across the living room to the television. He patted the black screen and looked over his shoulder at her, saying something that sounded vaguely like “clues”. Maiko walked across the living room towards the entertainment center, grabbed the remote for the television that was sitting on top of the TV while her son scampered to the couch, and started rocking quite forcibly as he talked to her about what a great show _Blue’s Clues_ was, or so she assumed.

“Yes. I’ve been trying to get a hold of you all day,” her mother was saying.

“Mommy,” came Chiaki’s voice from the kitchen.

“In a minute,” Maiko called over her shoulder to her daughter. “Sorry,” she apologized to her mother, “we just got home.” She grabbed the remote and searched for Blue’s Clues among the dozen or so shows that were recorded everyday on the DVR system; most of them were recorded for Subaru.

Subaru cheered behind her as the opening theme song to _Blue’s Clues_ began.

“I picked Chiaki up from school and then we did some shopping. We just got home and I forgot to charge my cellphone last night so it died. Why? What’s up?”

A heavy silence, which grew heavier the longer it continued, greeted the end of her question.

Maiko drew her brows together. “Ma?”

“…Have you listened to the news at all today?”

“The news? No,” she drawled cautiously, “like I said, we just got home. I haven’t even had time to put my feet up.” Maiko did not like where this was going. “Why? What happened?”

“Eiri called me a little while ago.”

“Eiri?” Maiko’s heart performed a series of summersaults. “Oh God! Is it the babies? Is it-?”

“There’s been an accident.”

Maiko gasped. “What?! Oh my God,” she breathed. She staggered backwards and flopped into the armchair. The color drained out of her face. “Wh-what happened? Is everyone okay?” she stuttered in alarm.

“Both Eiri and Shuichi are fine,” Shindou-san assured her daughter.

“Oh that’s good,” Maiko sighed in relief.

“But…”

Maiko perked up. Her heart was heavy with anticipation.

“Apparently, Riku was taking Kei and Kane out to do some shopping in Osaka and…they were hit from behind…”

“Oh my God.” Maiko felt faint.

“Your father and I are on our way to Osaka right now.”

“Oh, no. Poor Shuichi.” It seemed to be one thing after another.

“Thankfully, Kei and Kane just have some minor cuts and bruises, but they’re unsure of Riku’s condition. He’s in surgery right now.”

Maiko brought a trembling hand to her mouth. “Oh God. I hope he’s alright.” Her brother did not need this right now.

“They’re saying it was a hit and run.”

Maiko gasped. “What?! Oh my God.”

“I don’t know any of the details…This is just terrible. Terrible.”

 

* * *

  
  
“Mommy!”

Maiko was not sure how much time had passed when she was jerked out of her dazed state by her daughter’s shouts. She could not even remember what she did with the phone.

“Mommy come look!”

“What is it?” she asked Chiaki distracted. Her voice with thick and did not sound like her own. She continued to stare unseeing out the front window at the clear winter night with its fresh layer of snow.

“It’s that lady!”

“What lady?” she asked uninterested.

“On the TV!”

Sighing, Maiko dropped her legs to the floor and swung around. She looked across the living room and through the arch at Chiaki who was standing on the stool’s spindles and pointing at the television. Her backpack was propped open besides her. Its contents looked like they had exploded all over the countertop. It also blocked Maiko’s line of sight at the television.

“Why is the TV on? Aren’t you supposed to be doing your homework?”

“But Mommy,” Chiaki whined, “look!” She bounced lightly as she continued to indicate the television.

Maiko had the small television that was sitting on the counter along the far wall so that she could watch the news while she got them all ready in the morning and again later in the evening as she prepared dinner and made her daughter’s lunch for the next day. With a sigh, Maiko brushed at her tear soaked face and pushing up from the armchair crossed the living room to the dining room, noting that her son had fallen asleep. “You know you’re not allowed to turn on the TV until you finish with your homework,” she reminded her daughter as she reached out for the power button blindly.

“But Daddy’s lady friend that was over that one time when we went to visit Grandma and Grandpa is on TV.”

Maiko froze.

“See?” Chiaki turned to look at her mother and pointed at the screen. “See?”

Maiko forced back her tears, whether they were from anger or sadness over the reminder of the day her marriage fell apart because of her husband’s infidelity she was not sure. She had enough to deal with without bringing up that.

She had met up with him back in August and just listened to what he had to say just as her brother had suggested. He was her husband and she promised to stay with him through the good times as well as the bad until death did they part. Maiko might have been willing to forgive him for one act of infidelity, though life for him would not have been a very merry picnic. She had been willing to listen, open to trying to make their marriage work. He was her husband after all and despite what he did to her, to them, she still loved him, but to say that meeting had not gone well would be an understatement.

The father of her children had the nerve to tell her that she should think of their children and what people would say when word got out about the divorce. He said they should stay together if for nothing more then for the sake of the children, but he did not stop there. He even had the gull to suggest that he would retain his mistress and she would be free to take a lover as well. She had stormed out of the café after throwing a perfectly good Hawaiian Smoothie in his face and telling him to “go to hell”. The next day she called her lawyer.

“Chiaki-”

“Take a good look at this woman,” the news anchor was saying. “She is thirty-five year old Rinjin Karin-”

Maiko gasped. She knew that name! Rinjin was the name of that guy that nearly killed her brother seven years ago! Unable to stop herself, Maiko turned towards the television. Her eyes went wide and her face went white.

“-she is wanted for questioning concerning the hit and run accident that happened earlier today in Osaka that sent all three Uesugi-Shindou children to the hospital-”

With trembling hands, Maiko reached out for the television and turned it off. It was her! God help her! It was her! The woman she caught her husband with over the summer!

She suddenly felt nauseous.

 

* * *

 

**Osaka University Hospital - Osaka, Japan**

Detective Misawa Ren left his partner, Detective Shigeno Shin, back at the Home Lodge Hotel to deal with the mess there while he came to the Hospital to question Yuki-san, Shindou-san as well as the children who were involved in the accident. They might be able to shed some light onto this investigation.

He called the hospital on the way over and learned the two younger ones, the six-year-old twins, were fine except for some minor cuts and bruises, but that the older boy, Kitazawa Riku, was still in surgery. His condition was still unknown. However, he was told that it was feared he might have suffered some spinal injuries during the accident. Misawa was surprised that the children had survived the accident at all. He had seen the vehicle, or rather what was left of it. It had not so much as crashed into the pylon in the parking garage as had been impaled by it. The Hyundai Tiburon was nothing more than a ball of scrape metal.

There were still no leads as to the whereabouts of Rinjin Karin. The confidential tip line has been receiving calls nonstop since this whole fiasco started. While each one had to be followed up, none of them had panned out.

Though there was no evidence to back them up, those who had been assigned to the taskforce all agreed that Rinjin Karin was still somewhere in the city. She had unfinished business with Shindou Shuichi. They also agreed that she had not been trying to kill Shindou’s children, though that would have been an added bonus. She was sending Shindou a message. That was the only reason why she was not even bothering to try to hide the fact that she was behind everything.

Misawa stepped up to the enclosed counter in the Emergency Room and rapped on the glass with his knuckles. He held up his badge. “I’m Detective Misawa Ren. Where might I find the Uesugi-Shindou family?”

“Oh, yes, Detective. I was told you would be arriving. They are in the recovery room,” the nurse pointed over her shoulder. “Just go through these doors here and turn right.”

“Thank you.” He inclined his head.

She returned the gesture with one of her own.

Returning his badge to the pocket inside his suit coat, Misawa marched down the short hallway to his left and pushed through the swinging doors.

 

* * *

 

She peered around the corner of the outpatient building.

The Emergency Room entrance was staked out by the local news stations. Their news vans decorated with station logos and erect antennas lined the street. The national news stations would have people en route to the scene. She did not see any yet. Paparazzi as well as reporters from the local radio news stations were mixed into the crowd as well.

The mob was camped by the entrance to the ER earlier until they quickly become a nuisance. The police arrived and the various news media were told to vacate the premise or they would be arrested. It would have suited her just fine if all of them had been hauled away.

The horde of eyewitnesses with their cameras, still and moving, being across the street from the hospital rather than surrounding the automated doors to the Emergency Rooms did not make it any easier for her to enter the hospital unnoticed.

She spied a patrol car turn off the highway and coming straight down the street in her direction. Panicking, she ducked back around the building and pulled the hood of her coat over her head. Stuffing her gloved hands into her pockets, she lowered her head and watched her feet move one in front of the other as she strolled casually down the street. Nobody would notice her. It had been unusually chilly since October. Though it was warmer out today than it has been, there was still a bite in the air.

The police would have the hospital staked out just as the media did. Yuki and Shindou would no doubt have bodyguards. Somehow, she had to find a way to get to them. It should not be too difficult. Not every entrance would have someone watching over it and their guards could not be with them every second of the day.

 

* * *

 

Yokoiwabara “call-me–‘Yoko’-or-‘Tai’-and-you-die” Taisuke, who called himself a “freelance photojournalist” and not a paparazzo, was quickly becoming bored. The constant squawking was giving him a serious migraine.

Nothing was happening. He would bet his favorite body part--you had three guesses as to what it was, and the first two were wrong--that Yuki and Shindou had been in that van that arrived at the hospital earlier. If he were them, he would want to avoid the press at all costs. That meant that they would have veered away from the obvious entrance, which would be the ER entrance even though it would have gotten them to their boys that much quicker. So where would they have entered from? His best guess would have to be the loading docks or employee entrances in the back.

Taisuke glanced over his shoulder at his flock of competitors and quietly slipped away. He took advantage of a momentary opening in traffic and darted across the street.

With a smirk, he said one last silent goodbye to the multitude of morons and flitted around what he believed was the outpatient building--whatever an outpatient building was.

His shit-eating grin slipped as he spied someone walking hurriedly away from him. This person was hunched over as if he were trying to disappear beneath his coat and not so much as limping as dragging one of his legs behind him. There was something very odd about this guy. With a split second decision, Taisuke took off after him.

 

* * *

 

As Detective Misawa stepped through the swinging doors, he noticed a man in a black trench coat several yards down the hallway talking on the phone. The man was on the short side with yellow blond hair and a severe expression on his face.

“Seguchi-san,” he called out to the man.

Without missing a step, Seguchi Tohma held up a hand.

Misawa pulled his badge out as he strode down the hall towards the man.

“Yes, Mika,” Tohma was saying, “I’ll call when I have news…Yes…I love you, too.” Tohma pulled his cellphone away from his ear and flipped it closed, effectively ending the call. He turned towards Misawa. “May I help you?” he asked as he slid his phone into an inside pocket of his coat.

Misawa held up his badge. “Detective Misawa Ren. We spoke on the phone earlier.”

“Ah! Yes, Detective. Hello.”

The men shook hands.

“My condolences Seguchi-san.”

“Thank you.”

“I heard that the two littlest ones-?”

“Keitaro and Kane,” Tohma supplied.

Misawa inclined his head in gratitude. “Yes, Keitaro and Kane-kun. I heard that they-”

“Just have some minor cuts and bruises. Yes.”

“That’s good.”

“They were lucky.”

“Has there been any news on Kitazawa-kun?”

Tohma shook his head. “Not as of yet.”

Misawa nodded sadly. The lack of news about their son must be driving both Yuki-san and Shindou-san insane.

“My source tells me, Detective,” Tohma said, “that a Rinjin Karin is your main suspect?”

“Yes,” Misawa nodded. “We tracked her to the Home Lodge Hotel just outside of the city, but by the time we arrived, she was already gone, but we suspect that she is still in the city and most likely on her way here.”

Tohma had suspected as much. “You believe that she is after Shindou-kun?”

“Yes. If our information is correct and she is indeed sister to Rinjin Yasashii then it is possible that she blames Shindou-san for the death of her brother.”

“That’s ridiculous. His death was an accident. The railing was loose. Besides he killed two of my best guards, kidnapped Shindou-kun and would have killed him.”

Misawa nodded. “Be that as it may-” He had read up on the case. “-apparently, that is not what Rinjin-san believes.”

“Then she is a fool.”

“Yes, but a very dangerous fool.” Misawa glanced down at the smudge of his right shoe as he gathered his thoughts. “Seguchi-san I want to apologize.”

“For what, Detective?”

“For giving you such tragic news over the phone.”

Tohma inclined his head, but said nothing.

“As Primary, I wanted to be the one to inform you of the accident, but I didn’t want to leave the scene. I wanted to make sure that nothing was overlooked, but the trip to Nara would have taken half an hour and by then the media would have splashed the news of what happened all over TV. I did not want you to find out that way.”

Even though they tried for a media blackout or at least a semi-media blackout, just as he feared would happen happened. Leaks had the news spreading like wildfire. If he had even attempted the drive to Nara or requested an officer from Nara be sent out to inform the family of the boys about the accident, the police officer would have arrived too late. By the time he arrived, Yuki-san and Shindou-san would have already found out when they turned on either the television or the radio.

Tohma nodded. “I understand. Thank you Detective.”

“Seguchi-san, would it be alright if I had a few words with Yuki-san and Shindou-san? I’d also like to speak with the children.”

“Of course. I believe Eiri may have some things he has to speak to us about as well, Detective.”

Misawa thanked the man as he walked passed him.

He watched as Tohma strode confidently across the Recovery Room towards a set of drawn curtains in the far corner that was ringed by sextuplets in black suits that looked like they cost more than his annual income. He assumed they were bodyguards that Seguchi Tohma hired to protect his family.

He himself had gone to his superiors and requested that additional officers be sent out to patrol the streets, especially around the hospital. If this Rinjin Karin was indeed after Shindou, then that was the likeliest place she would show up next.

Tohma pulled aside the curtains and vanished inside the tent but not before Misawa caught a glimpse of Yuki-san and Shindou-san cuddling with their peacefully sleeping twins on the narrow hospital bed.

He wondered if it would not be more prudent for them to have a private hospital room.

Not more than a second later, Tohma reappeared. The curtains swung together again as he passed through, but they were not lying perfectly straight, which left a gap through which Misawa caught a glimpse of the writer as he untangled himself and bent over Shindou-san. He whispered something in his ear then kissed him chastely on the lips before rounding the bed and exiting the curtained off section behind Tohma.

As the curtains were drawn back together, Misawa caught a glimpse of violet eyes staring at him in confusion, before they vanished.

“Detective.”

Misawa swung his gaze back around.

“This is my brother-in-law.” Tohma indicated the taller, blond haired man walking up behind him.

“Yuki-san,” Misawa greeted as they shook hands. “Or do you prefer Uesugi-san?”

“The latter,” Eiri confessed.

Misawa nodded once. “Uesugi-san-”

“Why don’t we take this somewhere a little more private?” Tohma suggested as he glanced about the busy ER.

“Yes, that is a good idea,” Misawa agreed. He looked around. “Excuse me,” he called out to a passing doctor.

“Yes?”

He presented his badge. “Do you have somewhere private where we can go?”

“Of course, Detective,” the woman said. “Just this way.”

With her file tucked under her arm, she led them back through the recovery room and down the hall Eiri and Shuichi had been escorted through earlier. She stopped at the first door. Twisting the handle, she swung open the door. Sticking her head into the room, she groped the wall besides the door and turned on the lights in the office. “Here you go,” she said with a smile as she pulled her head out and stepped back.

“Thank you.”

She inclined her head and vanished back down the hall.

“Gentlemen,” Misawa said, turning towards him.

Tohma and Eiri stepped into the room and took the visitor chairs in front of the desk.

Misawa entered the office and shut the door behind him. As he crossed the office towards them, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a photograph. “Do either of you know this woman?” he asked them. He watched them closely.

Tohma leaned forward and taking the photograph, studied the woman staring back at him. The blond hair piled haphazardly atop her head was obviously fake, as was the high-sculpted cheeks, aquiline nose and full, pouty lips. What he could see of her suit appeared just as expensive as any of his wife’s suits. Whoever she was, he did not know her, but she was beautiful in an artificial way. “She doesn’t look familiar.” He handed the photo to Eiri.

Like Tohma, Eiri found her attractive, but could not say either way if he ever met her, but there was something vaguely familiar about her. As he studied the woman in the photograph, the deeper the sense of familiarity became.

“You know her,” Misawa assumed.

“Four months ago, we went to Tokyo for Shuichi’s grandfather’s funeral,” Eiri said quietly. He turned towards Tohma. “Remember when I told you about the paparazzo Shuichi saw?”

“I remember,” Tohma replied.

“Apparently, it wasn’t a paparazzo.”

Tohma drew his brows in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Eiri held up the photograph. “It was her.” He guessed it was time to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help him God.

How could you tell someone that this accident could have been avoided if he had only come forward sooner? That was exactly what Eiri was thinking as he relayed his tale to both the detective and his brother-in-law.

Back in August, Shuichi noticed what he believed to be a paparazzo outside the Ozaki Funeral Home in Tokyo. At the time, they brushed it off and thought nothing more about it until a couple days later when Eiri found a manila envelope lying on the welcome mat outside the Shindou household. Shuichi’s name was written on it. Otherwise, it was unmarked.

“What do you mean ‘unmarked’?” Detective Misawa interrupted.

From the appearance of the envelope, it was obvious someone other then the postman had delivered it. There was no return address or postage present.

Detective Misawa was thinking that if the events of earlier today had not happened, he would have been shocked by the forwardness of this woman. She just walked right up to the front door without any qualms or hesitation. What if someone saw her? Then again, knowing what they knew now, it was a safe bet to say that was exactly what Rinjin had been hoping.

Eiri had opened the envelope. Inside had been a photograph of Shuichi holding a slumbering Kane in his arms as he stood in the parking lot of the Ozaki Funeral Home speaking with his younger sister Maiko on the second day of their grandfather’s Wake.

“And this was when?”

“August.”

“Uesugi-san,” Detective Misawa sighed.

“Is this why you came to me last month about upgrading your security?” Tohma asked the author.

Eiri nodded.

“Why have you waited until now to say something, Uesugi-san?” Detective Misawa asked.

Why had he not gone to the police before this? For a variety of reasons. Eiri had not known what to believe when he found that first photograph. As one by one, the photographs showing intimate moments of his family kept arriving, he still had not known what to think. Looking back, Eiri realized he might not have taken the situation as seriously as he should have. Maybe because he really had not expected anything to happen. He was a fool not to say something, especially after the photograph of Shuichi speaking on the phone with Tohma turned up in their mailbox with “MURDERER” written in dried red paint meant to look like blood last month.

“Wait. Wait,” Detective Misawa spoke up. “You received a photo of Shindou-san that accused him of being a murderer?”

“Yes.” He might not have known who was responsible at the time, but it was then that Eiri knew what they had was not an overzealous fan as he had been hoping, but a stalker and not just any ordinary stalker at that, but one who was out to destroy Shuichi.

Really, if you look at it, what could the police have done? Nothing had happened. They were only receiving photographs once a week in their mailbox. Even when the photograph accusing Shuichi of being a murderer showed up there was still nothing the police could have done. Up until now, their stalker had kept her distance. Even if she had been harassing them with threatening phone calls, leaving gifts on their doorstep, or like Rinjin Yasashii, showing up “coincidentally” wherever they happened to be, the police could still not do anything. She had done nothing to harm any of them physically. So, Eiri did the only thing he could to protect his family, upgraded his security.

If he had had any doubts as to the motive of their stalker, it was confirmed when the next three photographs arrived.

“What do you mean, Uesugi-san?”

Because of the improved security at the house, their stalker had not been able to sneak onto the grounds as she had in the past, so, she’d had to improvise.

The first of the three new photographs was of him as he was shopping in town with Baby Kira. Two weeks ago, a photograph of the boys as they were walking into school was delivered. Then last week, he found one of Riku. It was a photograph of the boy returning home after being away at school in New York. It was the first time being home since Spring Break.

On top of knowing the police could not have done anything, Eiri said nothing for the same reason he was against accepting Seguchi’s Christmas present. This was his family and he could handle it himself. As he thought about Riku even now lying in the operating room and Keitaro and Kane sleeping peacefully in their mother’s arms out in the recovery/observation room, he realized how foolish he had been. Whether they could have done anything or not, Eiri realized he should have said something anyway.

“Is Shindou-san aware of…?”

Eiri shook his head. He could answer this one question without hesitation.

He kept all of this from Shuichi, though it appeared as if Shuichi had figured a great deal of it out all on his own. Into the third trimester of his pregnancy and having gained at least forty pounds thus far,--though, if you said that aloud, Shuichi would have your head--Eiri wanted to protect the mother of his children from any unnecessary stress. Miscarriages are not caused by stress, he knew that, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Tohma said nothing. He was not sure what, if anything, to say. It was a noble move and typical Eiri, but still very foolish.

“How many in total arrived?”

Since that first one in August, a total of sixteen had arrived.

“Uesugi-san, do you still have these photographs?”

Unfortunately, he had been unable to part from them despite the fact that he wanted more than anything to burn them in a giant bonfire.

“What about the envelopes they came in?”

They were in a pile at the bottom underneath the photographs. He could not say why he saved them. The envelopes the photos arrived in were the least important part.

Detective Misawa nodded. “Has anyone else touched them?”

As he was the only one outside of Rinjin and now his brother-in-law and Detective Misawa who even knew these photographs existed, no one other than himself and Rinjin had touched them that he was aware of. Now that Shuichi was, or supposed to be anyway, confined to bed, the master suite had turned into Shuichi’s makeshift efficiency, which made it that much easier to keep the expectant singer in the dark about his weekly packages.

“Eiri,” Tohma spoke up.

Eiri turned towards him.

“You knew. You knew when I told you about the woman Keene was in contact with here in Japan.”

The husband of his older sister was right.

It was a mightily big coincidence that Keene, the man who tried to murder Shuichi, was in touch with someone over here in Japan and not any ordinary someone, but Rinjin Yasashii’s sister. Keene was mentally unstable and still believed that Shuichi should be held responsible for the death of his daughter. Sometimes the relatives of those accused of crimes refused to believe a member of their family was guilty no matter what the evidence may say, so it was possible that Rinjin’s sister refused to believe the reports of her brother and teamed up with Keene.

Hindsight was twenty-twenty. What’s done is and nothing will change the guilt Eiri felt over his too late realization that he should have come forward sooner, but he hadn’t and now his son might be paralyzed.

Detective Misawa pondered what he had been told. This confirmed the task force’s theory. They had to find her and fast before she did something else.

“Seguchi-san, who is this Keene character you spoke of?”

Eiri growled lightly. He fisted his hands.

Tohma patted the author lightly on the shoulder. “Scott Keene,” he explained. Tohma told Detective Misawa what he knew about the attempted murderer.

With his arms crossed over his chest, Detective Misawa turned thoughtful. “Hm.” He would have to check up on that. It sounds like there might be something there. “Oh and Uesugi-san, I’m going to have to arrange for those photographs to be picked up.”

“Of course,” Eiri complied.

“Actually, my wife is at the house right now watching Baby Kira,” Tohma spoke up.

They left Kira with their neighbor, Najima Nami, until Mika arrived from Kyoto where the Seguchi’s were spending the holiday. Nami has watched the boys on several occasions. She was someone both Eiri and Shuichi trusted.

“Okay. Let me get in touch with my boss so we can make those arrangements and then I would like to speak with Shindou-san and the boys if that is all right.”

Eiri shot his brother-in-law a glance, who nodded at his unspoken inquiry. “That will be fine.”

Detective Misawa frowned. What had that look been about?  


* * *

 

The days were shorter this time of year. Hours before families usually sat down to have a nice family dinner it was already beginning to become dark as the sun slid slowly behind the horizon.

She stood in the parking lot on the east side of Osaka University Hospital. As her gaze traveled up the building that loomed large and imposing before her, the fur lined hood of her jacket slipped back to reveal damp, shoulder length blond hair secured loosely by a hair tie.

Tugging her hood back up over her head, she dropped her gaze and stuffing her hands into her coat pockets, shuffled across the full lot.

 

* * *

 

Half hidden behind a van and drooling, Taisuke kept snapping away. Lowering his camera, he smirked. Reaching for his cellphone, he flipped it open, but he paused and asked himself what he thought he was doing. Yes, she was wanted by the Osaka police in question to the accident that occurred earlier today and he knew he should contact them before she either disappeared into the ethers again or did something else, but on the other hand, he had a duty to his readers. The public had a right to know.

His reporter’s curiosity won.

Snapping his phone closed, Taisuke returned it and stepping out from behind the van, jogged across the parking lot towards the double set of doors through which Rinjin Karin had vanished.

Making sure his camera was tucked safely out of view, for it was a dead give away as to his profession, Taisuke gripped the cool metal handles and flung open the heavy door. Glancing quickly over his shoulder, he too slipped inside.

This was going to be good.

Stopping just inside the second set of doors, Taisuke quickly scanned the lobby. There were several people scattered throughout the lobby. Some were watching the television that was tuned to the local news. Others were flipping through magazines, but he did not see Rinjin.

“Excuse me,” Taisuke said as he strolled up to the front desk where a volunteer was working quietly. Her nametag read Keiko.

“Yes, Sir?” the older woman asked.

“Hi. I was wondering if you could help me.”

“What can I do for you?”

“I’m looking for my wife.” The lie came out smoothly. “I was wondering if you’ve seen her. We came to visit her cousin who was admitted earlier. I dropped her off then went to park the car. She didn’t happen to come through here, did she?”

“What did she look like?”

“Uhm, blond hair? Longish tan leather coat with faux fur lining? Has a slight limp?”

“Oh, yes. She dropped off a package then took off down that hallway.” She indicated over her left shoulder.

“Aah. She must have already gone up. Thank you very much.” He bowed kindly.

Keiko inclined her head in kind. “You’re welcome.”

His boots squealing against the tiled floor, Taisuke took off down the twisting corridor.

Rinjin dropped off a package? Taisuke could not remember her having anything when she entered the hospital. He wondered what that was all about.

Somehow, Taisuke found himself in front of a bank of elevators near another waiting room and another set of doors that looked out over where his colleagues were huddled together out in the frigid temperatures.

Where did she go?

“Are you lost?” asked a deep, male voice from behind him.

Taisuke turned around and came face to face with a security officer. His nametag said Takeda. “Yeah,” he laughed. “This’s my first time here. I’m trying to find the cafeteria.”

“The cafeteria? Okay. You just turn right down this hall here,” Officer Takeda pointed over his shoulder “and then left at the gift shop. It’ll be on your right.”

“Got it. Thank you very much.” Taisuke bowed.

Officer Takeda inclined his head in return.

“I’m supposed to meet my wife there. We’re here to see her cousin. You haven’t seen her have you? Blond hair? Limping? Tannish coat?”

“Can’t say that I have.”

Where did she go? She could not have just vanished.

“We can have her paged-?”

“Oh, no,” Taisuke said panicking. “That’s okay. She’ll either be in the cafeteria or up in her cousin’s room. She just tends to do things without informing me.”

“You sure-?”

“Yes. Yes. Thank you very much.” Taisuke bowed several more times, as he quietly slipped away.

Once out of sight of the security officer, Taisuke breathed a heavy sigh of relief, and then cursed himself for losing his target.

 

* * *

 

The sound of muffled voices from outside the drawn curtains woke Shuichi from his light slumber. Rubbing his aching eyes, he pushed himself up into a sitting position, being careful not to disturb his sleeping boys cuddled around him. The curtains parted and Marcus appeared. “What’s going on? Where’s Eiri?” Shuichi asked the man, his voice slurred.

“He’s still with Mr. Seguchi, Sir.”

Shuichi’s face fell. “Oh.” He wished Eiri were here. He was worried about Riku. Eiri told him their oldest boy was in surgery, but he refused to say anything more then that. He hoped nothing was seriously wrong. A hand flew to his belly. Though the twins were still sound asleep, it felt as if somebody had woken up.

“But one of the hospital volunteers just dropped this off.”

Shuichi raised his head. “Huh?”

With a sharp intake of air, Shuichi’s eyes went wide at the Manila envelope.  
  
“Mr. Shindou?”

Marcus’s voice snapped Shuichi out of his thoughts. “Huh?”

“Are you all right, Sir?”

“Oh, yes,” he smiled weakly. Shuichi reached out with trembling hands and took the offered envelope. “Thank you.”

“Sir.” Marcus inclined his head.

One end of the envelope had been torn open.

“What is it?” He’d asked because as his bodyguard, Marcus would have checked to make sure the package was safe for him to handle. He would not be a very good bodyguard if he allowed his client to have something that might end up blowing his face off.

“It appears to be a photograph of some kind.”

Shuichi frowned.

“You said a nurse dropped this off?”

“A volunteer. She said it was dropped off at the front lobby for you.”

“Who dropped it off?” Shuichi did not like this…

“She didn’t say.”

…Not one bit. “Thanks.”

With a tip of his head, Marcus vanished back outside the curtain.

“Oh! Marcus?”

Marcus popped his head back inside. “Sir?”

“Can you see what’s taking Eiri so long? And then try to find someone and ask them about that room we requested.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Once again, his big, burly bodyguard vanished.

Shuichi studied the manila envelope. His name was printed clearly in bold, black, block lettering. Flipping it over, he saw there was nothing else on the envelope, no postage, or return address. “Strange,” he mumbled. He reached inside and pulled out what indeed turned out to be a photograph. It was upside down, for which Shuichi was grateful. The photograph, with the logo of the film company scrawled in yellow font color in diagonal lines across the backside, shook in his trembling hands.

Shuichi felt sick to his stomach and it had nothing to do with his pregnancy.

Taking a deep breath, he flipped the photo over. Nothing could prepare him for what he saw.  


* * *

 

Dr. Aiba Madoka raised her hand just as the office door swung open, startling both her and the foreign bodyguard behind her.

“Doctor,” Detective Misawa exclaimed. He was immediately on alert when he recognized the woman whom allowed them the use of the office and behind her was one of the guards Seguchi-san assigned to the Uesugi-Shindou family. “What’s happened,” he demanded.

Marcus stepped forward. “Sir.”

Dr. Aiba excused herself.

Fear and panic jolted Eiri’s heart into a quickening pulse. He stepped forward. “Is Shuichi all right? Is he-?”

“He has been asking for you, Sir.”

Eiri breathed a heavy sigh of relief. He swore the baka was going to the death of him yet. “All right. Tell the brat I’ll be right there and that Detective Misawa here has some questions he would like to ask him and the boys,” he ordered as his heart rate went back to normal.

“Yes, Sir.”

“Thank you Marcus,” Tohma dismissed. He turned towards the detective and his brother-in-law and swept his hand out the door. “Shall we?”

“Sirs.”

Tohma turned back towards the black man. “Didn’t I-?”

“Yes, sir, but there is something else you probably should know.”

Eiri spun towards his husband’s bodyguard. He suddenly had a very bad feeling.

“Well? What is it?” Tohma snapped.

“Just moments ago, one of the hospital volunteers dropped off a manila envelope.”

“What?!” shouted three male voices in unison.

With a curse, Eiri pushed passed his brother-in-law, the detective and Marcus. He was vaguely aware of Detective Misawa pulling out his cellphone as he, Tohma and Marcus followed him as he sprinted down the hall towards the observation room. His heart was thumping a fierce beat.

That bitch was here? She had the nerve to show her face after what she did to his family? If he ever got his hands on her, he was going to kill her! Nobody messed with his family and lived.

The bodyguards snapped to attention when they spotted Eiri racing towards them.

“Kitazawa Riku?”

Blinking, Eiri skidded to a halt and turned towards the male voice. Everything else was instantly forgotten at the mention of his son. “Yes?”

An older man in scrubs stepped into the observation room. “I’m Dr. Amada Hirofumi. I worked on your son.”

As the two men shook hands, there was a clatter of movement sounded behind the doctor. Eiri glanced over the doctor’s shoulder and spotted Marcus, his brother-in-law and Detective Misawa. “Shuichi,” he breathed. Eiri strode towards the curtain that shielded his family. As Blade stepped aside and pulled back the curtain, Eiri gasped at the sight that greeted him. “Shuichi!”

Shuichi was as white as the sheets on the bed. His expression was blank, but tears streamed down his face.

Eiri rushed to his husband’s side and immediately went pale. “Detective,” he called over his shoulder. “You need to take a look at this.”

Detective Misawa was pulling the gloves he always kept on him out of his pockets as he stepped forward when he was struck temporarily dumb as he stared down at the singer. Was it just him or-?

“Detective,” whispered a low voice in his ear.

Startled, he turned to glance over his shoulder.

Tohma drew him aside. “I trust you will keep this to yourself? If there are any leaks, I will have your job and sue not only your department but the city for everything they have and trust me when I say I will win.”

His face having lost its color, Detective Misawa gulped and nodded. “Of course.” He looked briefly over his shoulder at the infamous couple. “So, Shindou-san is-?”

“Pregnant with triplets.”

Detective Misawa blinked. “Wow,” he exclaimed in shock. “When is he due?”

“April. They plan on a C-section.”

The detective nodded.

“Detective,” Tohma called when the plain cloths detective turned away, “I trust you will remember our little talk?”

“Of course, Seguchi-san.”

Tohma nodded his thanks.

Still a little shaky, Detective Misawa strolled up to the bed. “Hello, Shindou-san. I am Detective Misawa. Can I take a look at that?” He gently released the photograph out of the singer’s grasp.

Eiri sat on the edge of the mattress and pulled his husband to him as much as Shuichi’s massive stomach would allow.

Shuichi clung to him tightly. He buried his face in Eiri’s chest and sobbed quietly.

Detective Misawa’s grip tightened. His expression hardened. “Mr. Biesinger,” he said.

Marcus stepped forward. “Yes, Sir?”

“You said one of the staff volunteers gave this to you for Shindou-san?”

“Yes, sir. She said it was dropped off at the front lobby by a woman.”

“Did she say who this woman was? What she looked like?”

“No, sir.”

“Thank you.”

Marcus inclined his head and returned to his post.

“What is going on, Detective Misawa?” Tohma asked.

Detective Misawa held out the object in question.

Tohma’s face remained impassive as he studied what appeared to be a crime scene photo of an accident involving what, at one time, had been a red car of an indistinguishable model, but was nothing more than a ball of metal. But it was what was printed across the photograph in what Tohma assumed was dried red paint that disturbed him the most:  
“I WARNED YOU”. He locked eyes with the detective.

“Excuse me,” called a new voice.

All eyes turned towards Dr. Amada. “If this is a bad time-?”

“No, no,” Eiri said. His voice was thick. He discreetly wiped at stray tears. “Please. Shu-chan,” he said turning towards his teary-eyed husband, “this is Dr. Amada Hirofumi. He’s Riku’s surgeon.”

Shuichi turned his watery eyes towards the Dr. Amada as he stepped up to the bed.

Dr. Amada Hirofumi was an older gentleman with a head full of grey hair and steel grey eyes. His face was hard and deeply lined.

“How is my son?” Eiri asked.

“The surgery went just fine.”

“What was wrong with him?” Tohma asked. “We were told by Dr. Li that he suffered some spinal injuries?”

“Yes,” Dr. Amada confirmed.

Shuichi gave a cry.

Eiri tightened his hold on his already devastated husband.

“More specifically, what he suffered was what we call ‘a vertebral compression fracture’.”

Shuichi nodded as a surge of relief flooded through him. Dr. Ohtani and he had discussed all this back when he was in the hospital after his fall.

“What is that exactly?” Detective Misawa asked.

“It occurs when the bones of the spine become broken due to trauma. In the case of Kitazawa-kun, it was the accident. Usually the trauma necessary to break the bones of the spine is quite large. In certain circumstances, however, such as in elderly people and in people with cancer, these same bones can break with little or no force. The vertebrae most commonly broken are those in the lower back. We discovered the break on one of his x-rays and performed a CT scan and then an MRI of his spine when Kitazawa-kun told us he could not feel his legs,” Dr. Amada continued.

There was a round of gasp and curses.

“He went in for surgery to repair the break, which I said before was successful.”

“He’ll be able to walk again, right?” Shuichi spoke up for the first time. He turned pleading eyes towards the older man.

Dr. Amada turned towards the violet-eyed singer. He smiled gently. “Yes,” he said. “He’ll be up and about in no time at all.”

There was a round of relieved sighs.

“He may need to wear a back brace just as a precautionary for a little while, gets lots of rest, will have to be confined to bed for several weeks until he heals and has to avoid strenuous and painful activities.” the doctor said.

“I don’t know if he’ll like that,” Shuichi giggled. He sniffed and wiped at his tears.

“Or if the boys’ll allow it,” Eiri added with a soft chuckle. He glanced down at the twins who were snoring softly curled up against their mother.

“Guess this means you won’t be switching the rooms around, huh? Or setting up the nursery.”

Eiri shrugged. “We still have time. Besides, I’m sure we’ll have a contingent of guests that will be glad to volunteer their time.”

Shuichi snorted. He knew exactly what Eiri said when he said he would have “volunteers”.

“Kitazawa-kun will also,” Dr. Amada continued, “need to apply ice to his back for the first week, then heat or ice, whichever feels better, after that. Ice should be placed in a bag, wrap the bag in a towel, and then apply to the back for 15-20 minutes each hour. Do not add heat the first week because it draws more fluid to the area, thereby increasing swelling and pain. I will be prescribing him a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory that he will need to take every day and a muscle relaxant. You will need to take him to see his doctor regularly to ensure that the bones are healing or you can bring him here. I will be happy to see him.” He laughed at the expression on Shuichi’s face. “Do not worry. I’ll write all this down for you.”

Shuichi breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank you, Dr. Amada,” Tohma told him.

The doctor inclined his head.

“Yes, thank you,” Eiri said.

“You are very welcome.”

“Can we see him?” Shuichi asked with hope-filled eyes.

“Certainly,” Dr. Amada said. “He is being wheeled up to that private room you requested. I’ll have Yoshio escort you up there when you are ready.”

They thanked the older man once again as he bowed and made his exit.

Detective Misawa turned towards the retired pop star. His expression turned hard. His eyes went serious. “Shindou-san. I am Detective Misawa Ren,” he reintroduced himself when Shuichi turned blank eyes towards him. “I am from the Osaka Police Department.”

“He’s investigating the hit and run,” Eiri explained.

Shuichi nodded that he understood.

“That’s right. Is it all right if I ask you a couple questions?”

Shuichi drew in a breath.

 

**…To Be Continued…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The study mentioned at the end of last chapter is a real study that the University of Buffalo conducted when I first wrote this.


	11. The Tightening Noose & Catching Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The first quarter of this chapter is mainly the OCs, for that I apologize, but it is important for the plot.

**Chapter 11: The Tightening Noose & Catching Up**

**Osaka University Hospital - Osaka, Japan**

“All right, Tamaki-san,” Detective Shigeno Shin said. He looked from his small memo pad on which he had been jotting down notes up to the middle-aged candy stripper standing before him. “Thank you very much for your time. If we have any more questions, we can contact you here?” He indicated the contact information she had given the seasoned detective.

“Yes, sir,” Keiko nodded.

“All right. Have a nice day now.”

“Thank you. You too.”

As the detective turned away to join his partner who should be even now questioning the Uesugi-Shindou family, the volunteer’s voice called him back. “Yes, ma’am?”

“Uhm.” Her gaze flitted off to the right. “There was another guy who was asking about her earlier.”

That had the detective’s immediate attention. “When was this?” he demanded.

“Uhm…Maybe a minute or two later?”

“Okay and this gentleman-?”

“He said he was her husband,” she informed.

Detective Shigeno raised an eyebrow at that. “Husband?” Nothing in the information he and his colleagues had on Rinjin Karin indicated she had ever had a serious relationship before let alone been married, so who was this other person, a partner maybe, or someone else all together?

Keiko nodded. “Yes, sir.” She recalled the conversation she had with the man.

“And did this man give his name?” Detective Shigeno asked as he scribbled notes into his notepad.

“…Hmm…I don’t…think so,” Keiko replied slowly as she raked her brain. “No. No,” she repeated more firmly, “he did not.”

“Can you remember what he looked like, Tamaki-san?”

Keiko thought long and hard, but came up blank. There had been nothing remarkable about the man. Shorn black hair and dark squinty eyes, on the short side and dressed shabbily. There had been nothing remarkable about the man. At least nothing that stood out. “I’m sorry.”

“No, no,” Detective Shigeno shook his head. “You are doing fine. Can you remember what he was wearing?”

Once again, Keiko scanned through her memories. “…Jeans? Uhm, those, those, uhm…what do you call them. Those tan ankle worker-type boots. Oh, uhm, Timberlands or whatever they’re called.”

Detective Shigeno nodded. “What else? What about his coat?”

“Oh, yeah. I remember that because it looked like the coats that seem to be a staple of all grandparents. Cheap looking. A washed out tannish-brown color. Uhm, a green plaid stripe around the collar.”

“All right. Anything else?”

Actually, there was now that she thought about it. There had been something strange about the guy’s chest.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it was as if he had something hidden underneath his coat. You know, it looked kinda bulky.”

“‘Bulky’?”

“Yeah and by the looks of this guy, it wasn’t muscle.”

Detective Shigeno’s mind flashed to the gaggle of various news media gathered outside the hospital and wondered.

 

* * *

 

Detective Misawa Ren was lost in thought as he emerged from the elevator, but looked up when he heard his name. “Hey, Shigeno,” he greeted his partner.

“How’d it go?”

“Well, they said it would take a while for Kitazawa-kun to be coherent enough to talk, so Shindou-san and Uesugi-san said they would contact us when he woke up, but I did speak to the twins who were in the back seat during the accident. They both claim that they were hit from behind as Kitazawa-kun was pulling into a parking spot in the parking garage.”

That jibed with what the eyewitnesses had told them. “Did they get a look at the car or the license plate or even the driver?”

Detective Misawa checked his notes to make sure he got his facts straight, “The older one, Keitaro, said it was a gray car being driven by a woman with long blond hair.”

A slow grin spread across Detective Shigeno’s face. “Bingo.”

“I had him do a photo lineup and he picked out Rinjin right away.”

“No hesitation?”

“None,” Detective Misawa nodded. “The younger of the two, Kane, said that he noticed a gray car behind them during the whole drive from Nara to Osaka. It even pulled into the parking garage with them and then followed them as Kitazawa tried to find a spot to park.”

“He noticed it following them?”

“Yeah. He said he pointed it out to Kitazawa-kun, but that was when the accident happened.”

Detective Shigeno shook his head in disgust. For as long as he has been in law enforcement, he was still stunned by the audacity of some people. He would never be able to understand what goes through their heads. “What about Shindou-san?”

“He confirmed everything Uesugi-san said.”

Detective Shigeno nodded. “And those photographs?”

“He knew nothing about them--until now.” Detective Misawa nodded when he saw Shigeno wince out off the corner of his eye. “Suffice it to say, I’m glad I’m not Uesugi-san right about now.”

His partner chuckled.

“And it is a very good thing that Seguchi-san hired those bodyguards.”

Detective Shigeno was glad he was single.

“What about you?” Detective Misawa asked his partner as he slipped his notepad back into his coat pocket.

“I spoke with Tamaki Keiko and she confirms that the package was delivered to the front desk by a woman fitting the description of our UNSUB.”

“So it was definitely Rinjin then?”

“Yes,” Detective Shigeno confirmed as he and his partner strolled through the halls of the hospital. “Tamaki-san described Rinjin to a ‘T’. She even backed up that French student’s claim that she was limping.”

“It looks like she did not walk away from that accident unscathed.”

“This should make it that much easier to find her.”

“Should.”

“And yet somehow, she is able to sneak into the hospital and than just disappears right under everybody’s nose without being seen.”

“So she hasn’t been found yet?”

“There’s no trace of her.”

That was to be expected. She was not about to let herself be caught just yet. No, she was far from done with the Uesugi-Shindou family. “She’s good. I will give her that, but she was not completely unseen.”

Detective Shigeno nodded. “She tripped up big time.”

“I don’t think she sees it that way, though. Dropping off that package at the front desk personally in front of a room full of eyewitnesses?”

“Right, and actually speaking with Tamaki-san, telling her who the package was for.”

“She is taking more and more risks and becoming bolder as time passes and she remains free.”

Detective Shigeno shook his head in disgust. “She’s laughing at us.”

“I am not sure if she wants to be caught or just recognized for what she is doing.”

“Which is what?”

“Bringing a murderer to justice.”

 

* * *

 

“Are you sure?” Detective Shigeno asked the uniformed security officer some time later.

Officer Takeda, who moonlighted part time as a security officer at Osaka University Hospital, nodded without taking his gaze from the black and white security monitor. “Yeah. That’s him. He said that he was lost and trying to find the cafeteria. Then he asked if I had seen his wife. Said they were here to see her cousin, or something.”

Detectives Shigeno and Misawa exchanged a knowing look. That was the same story this guy gave Keiko. At least he knew how to keep his story straight. It brought less attention to him.

“Did you get a name?” Detective Misawa asked.

“No, but he did seem a little nervous.”

Detectives Misawa and Shigeno glanced at one another again. If he had been legitimate, like he had been pretending, then there would have been no reason for him to be so jumpy even when confronted with a cop, but the fact that this man had been was evidence enough that he was not who he claimed to be.

“What about her?” Detective Shigeno asked as he pointed to another security monitor that displayed a woman with long hair in a fur trimmed coat that was handing over a large envelope to the hospital employee behind the counter.

Officer Takeda studied the monitor screen, but shook his head. “Sorry.”

“Is there any way we can get stills?” Detective Misawa asked the technician at the controls.

“Both of them?”

“Yes.”

“Sure. It’ll take a few minutes, though.”

“Do it.”

“Right.”

“Once we get those stills,” Detective Misawa said, “I think we should have a little news conference.”

A slow grin spread across Detective Shigeno’s face.

 

* * *

 

**Shindou-Uesugi Residence - Nara, Japan**

Lieutenant Katsuragi Eiji stepped from the mansion that at most cost a hundred times, minimum, more than his annual income out onto the stone steps that led down to the drive with a brown paper grocery bag in his hand. Turning around, he tipped his head at the tallish woman with her long chestnut brown hair pulled back into a ponytail and a chubby little baby with jet-black hair and large eyes that sparkled like amethysts on her hip. The baby was sucking on a necklace the woman holding him was wearing around her neck and staring as if transfixed at him. Even the baby’s sweater set and khaki slacks looked like they cost more than what Lieutenant Katsuragi earned in a month as a police officer with the Nara police force.

“Seguchi-san.”

“Lieutenant,” Seguchi Mika answered back with a small nod.

Mika watched as the police detective secured the brown paper bag that held something he had retrieved from her brother’s desk in the trunk of his unmarked police issued police car before slipping behind the wheel and rounding the turnabout. The car pulled out through the gates and vanished. Mika stepped back into the warm house gratefully and shut the door behind her. As she made sure the gates were closed securely and the security system was on, she wondered what that had been all about and reminded herself to ask Tohma and her brother about it later. She was not too happy about being left out of the loop.

“Well, little Kira,” she breathed to her nephew. “I think it’s time for someone to take a nap.”

As if the six month old knew what had been said to him, his face crumbled. With her necklace hanging from the two front lower teeth he had, little Kira started crying.

Mika knew from experience with her own children that her littlest nephew was faking. “See? Already cranky. C’mon.”

With Kira still protesting, Mika spoke to him softly as she climbed the staircase towards the nursery.

 

* * *

 

**Osaka University Hospital - Osaka, Japan**

“I want to have a crew on the Uesugi-Shindou household twenty-four-seven,” Detective Misawa was saying over the phone to his captain as he paced back and forth under the carport outside the hospital. “I think it will be the only way to catch her.”

This woman was as slippery as a fish and as elusive as a ghost. She was unlike any other criminal he had ever come across. Nothing about her made any sense. The one thing they could count on was that she would show up at the Uesugi-Shindou household to hand deliver another photograph.

From what he was able to learn from both Uesugi-san and Seguchi-san, they had a state of the art security system on not only the house, but also Shindou-san’s recording studio and the grounds itself. This means that if Rinjin had plans to do more than just evade the privacy of this family or play bumper cars, she would have to do it outside the compound.

Whether Rinjin Karin was watching them from down the street or sneaking up to their mailbox in the middle of the night, they needed to be there to catch her.

“…Great. Thanks…Sure thing.” Detective Misawa snapped the phone shut and slipped it into his coat pocket. He turned towards his partner. “He went for it,” he said grinning.

“Let’s just hope it works.”

“It will.”

“We’ll see.”

“All right. You ready for this?”

Not really, Detective Shigeno thought but he nodded to the affirmative. Neither Detective Misawa nor he actually liked this part of their job, but unfortunately, it was unavoidable if they wanted to gain the trust and cooperation of the public. It was when the political aspect became more important than the investigation that Detective Shigeno drew the line.

Together they exited the hospital via the automatic sliding doors and crossing the parking lot, headed towards the horde of various news agencies that seemed to have multiplied a hundred fold in the brief couple of hours since they had arrived at the hospital.

Detective Misawa took a deep breath and stepped up to the podium that sprouted microphones like mutations. “Good afternoon.” His voice instantly silenced the murmurings of the gathered reporters and photographers that seemed to have created a shantytown around the hospital in the hopes of catching something newsworthy that would help them to top their competitors. “We’ll be making a short statement today. Afterwards, we’ll take a couple questions.” He glanced briefly over the statement that had been prepared for him earlier. “Earlier today…”

 

* * *

 

**One Month Later - January - Shindou-Uesugi Residence - Nara, Japan**

It was nearing what was commonly known as “Dead Time” among some Paranormal Investigators and the sparsely populated neighborhood where the Uesugi-Shindou household resided was eerily quiet. Other than the symphony of maracas echoing in the tranquility that stretched across the land, the only other sound came from the squawking of his radio that he had turned down when his watch began earlier that evening.

When Officer Shibasaki Hiroyuki pressed the button on the side of his watch, which made the face of it light up, he noticed that it was past time for his replacement to arrive. He could not wait to get home to his wife. They were expecting their first child any day now.

Officer Hiroyuki reached towards the console of his unmarked patrol car that was hidden deep within the shadows. “213 to dispatch,” he called into his radio.

The static filled reply came over the radio. “Go ahead 213.”

“No sign of target.”

“Copy 213.”

Officer Hiroyuki glanced in his rearview and side mirrors, but saw no sign of life. All was still and quiet in the very earlier hours of the morning and that was what was beginning to worry him. Where was Hideo?

Oda Hideo and he grew up together. They even went through the Police Academy together and by a strange twist of events, somehow managed to end up at the Nara City Police Department. Hideo was supposed to have replaced him as watchman over the Uesugi-Shindou compound half an hour ago. He hoped everything was all right. Thankfully, he was not the only officer on guard duty. Lieutenant Katsuragi had volunteered and was even now several yards down the street. They had it so that the shift change did not happen at the same time. That way, there was always someone at attention. The Lieutenant was scheduled to go off duty in a couple of hours. Officer Hiroyuki decided to give his replacement the benefit of the doubt and give him a little more time. Even if Hideo was MIA, Officer Hiroyuki was not about to leave the Lieutenant holding the bag even though he would give anything to be with his pregnant wife right about now.

Where the hell was Hideo?

 

* * *

 

At three-thirty in the morning, Shuichi suddenly found himself wide-awake and with an overwhelming craving.

Alternately licking and gnawing at his lips, he glanced over his shoulder. Eiri was sound asleep with his back to him. Shuichi smiled. It was good to have Eiri besides him again. His smile slipped. Eiri looked so peaceful. He hated to wake him. He knew his husband needed the sleep, but he really, really, really wanted…

When he was pregnant with the twins, he really had not had any strange or bizarre cravings. He had not wakened Eiri up in the middle of the night to make food runs. He ate twice his body weight, at least, though. It did not help that Eiri had had him on a strict diet--Shuichi still has not forgiven Eiri for that. With Kira, it was the same story. Up until recently, it had been the same with this pregnancy. Shuichi figured the change in his appetite was due in part with the fact that there were three babies within him, growing and developing and the rest was due to stress because of his latest stalker.

He had only just allowed Eiri back into the bed for keeping quiet for so long about that. Eiri had been sleeping on the couch in the Great Room with Riku for the past month as punishment. He could have slept in his office, but had decided to keep Riku company instead. It was a good thing they had cellphones. And of course, Shuichi made sure that Eiri had the baby monitor with him. There was no way he was going to lug his sorry pregnant ass to the nursery to go get Kira when the seven month old woke up at five o’clock in the morning.

Shuichi was unsure how he managed it, but somehow, Tohma managed to secure a hospital bed for Riku. Because Riku was confined to bed for several months while his back healed, they felt it would be easier for him to be in the Great Room, which was the heart of the manor. That way, he was not missing out on anything with the kitchen, dining room and downstairs bathroom being right there.

They had had a full house over Christmas. Hiro, Fujisaki, Kazehaya, Shuichi’s parents, Maiko and her children had all crammed into the house. How, Shuichi still did not know. Ryuichi, Tatsuha, Mika and Tohma and their children had also stopped by. And Eiri had taken full advantage of all the company. They moved Riku’s bedroom from the second floor to the third floor and changed his old room into the nursery like Eiri and he had talked about, even though Eiri had always been against giving Riku so much privacy. It was unavoidable, what with three new babies on the way, but that did not mean that Eiri had to like it. Because Eiri remembered clearly what he had been like when he was Riku’s age. So did Shuichi, which was why he pushed for giving Riku free reign over the top floor, which had been converted from attic space when they moved in years ago when the twins were toddlers.

Tohma bought and installed a chair lift for the staircase leading from the first floor to the second floor to make it easier for Shuichi to climb the stairs. He also bought a second wheelchair, which was kept on the second floor. Shuichi’s old wheelchair, the one Tohma purchased for him when Shuichi injured his back, was kept on the first floor. Of course, Tohma did not stop there.

Much to Eiri’s chagrin, his brother-in-law also bought a fifty-inch flat screen television for Riku since his nephew was stuck in the Great Room, which did not have a television. He also purchased a wheelchair for Riku, which made it easier to get Riku in and out of the house for his doctor appointments.

Even though the gifts were much appreciated, Eiri had had a serious talk with Tohma. Eiri being Eiri, he claimed he could take care of his own family. Of course, Tohma just smiled that smile of his and said, “Alright, Eiri,” which of course pissed off Eiri even more.

Flipping slowly and carefully onto his back and then turning onto his other side, Shuichi faced the long line of his husband’s bare back. “Eiri,” he called softly. He shook Eiri’s shoulder gently. “Eiri? I’m hungry. Eiri,” he whined piteously when his husband continued to ignore him. “Eiri, wake up!”

Startled awake, golden hazel eyes snapped open. Eiri flipped onto his back and met wide violet eyes. “What? What is it? What happened?” he demanded over a rate heart that had doubled.

“Uhm…” Shuichi cast his gaze downward. His jet-black locks swung forward over his face. As he played with the edge of the comforter, he peered surreptitiously from time to time through the veil of bangs shielding his eyes at his husband who was staring down at him with alarm. “Can you, uhm…”

Eiri sighed heavily and flopped back onto the bed. He scrubbed his hands over his face. “What is it this time?”

Shuichi continued to play with the folds of the blanket. He lifted his gaze briefly before dropping it back down. “I, uhm, I want ice cream,” he said in a soft voice.

Eiri dropped his hands to his sides and turned to face his partner. “…You do realize what time it is.”

“Yeah,” Shuichi answered in a soft whisper.

“And that we have no ice cream in the house.”

“Yeah.” His voice dropped even lower.

Eiri sighed in disgust. This was becoming very old very fast. This was one of many side effects of Shuichi’s pregnancy that he was beginning to despise. He stared up at the ceiling hidden in deep shadows. He wished he could just say no and go right back to sleep, but if he did that, Shuichi would be whining and crying and be just a difficult little bitch moaning about how Eiri did not love him or the babies developing within him…blah, blah, blah. Eiri would get a splitting headache. They would exchange a few not so pleasant niceties. Shuichi would lock himself in the bathroom. Eiri would feel so massively guilty for making the love of his life and the mother of his children so absolutely miserable that he would end up driving to the corner market and buying Shuichi his favorite ice cream, which he would use to lure the mother of his children out of the bathroom. They would make up. Shuichi would down the entire gallon of ice cream with a little help from Eiri. Then they would live happily ever after. But as much as the hot, steamy make up sex turned him on, the rest was a definite deal breaker. So instead, Eiri thought it more prudent to just run up to the store now and bypass all that. Besides, he might still get the kinky sex part. Only it would be out of gratitude.

“Eiri?”

Eiri was snapped out of his thoughts by Shuichi’s worried voice calling out to him. “Alright,” he sighed. “Alright.”

A huge grin split Shuichi’s face. “Thank you, Eiri!”

Eiri’s face twitched as he fought back his own smile. That was how much Shuichi’s happiness affected him. He cleared his throat. “Yeah, yeah,” Eiri grumbled.

Shuichi giggled. He may act like an airhead and an idiot, but he knew what he did to Eiri and he definitely played it up every chance he got.

Tossing aside the bedcovers, Eiri grabbed his cotton pajama pants that had been discarded earlier that night up off the floor and slipped them on. Standing up, he turned around and kneeling on the mattress, leaned over and kissed Shuichi chastely on the lips.

“Love you,” Shuichi said as Eiri pulled back.

Eiri smiled. “I know,” he whispered back. His gaze traveled to Shuichi’s bulbous belly. A surge of pride swelled up in him. Those were his children in there. It was hard to believe. When he was sixteen, he never would have thought he would be at this point in his life. Hell, when he first met Shuichi he never would have imagined his life would have turned out like this. He raised his head and met Shuichi’s smiling eyes. Bending over, he kissed his husband once, twice, three times.

“Go,” Shuichi giggled pushing Eiri away. His eyes sparkled with amusement. “Get me my ice cream.”

Eiri chuckled as he straightened.

“Besides,” Shuichi added as he watched Eiri’s tight ass cross the master bedroom.

“Hm?”

“Your face is all scratchy.”

Eiri halted right before the walk-in closet. He glanced over his shoulder with golden eyes sparkling mischievously. A devilish grin crossed his face.

Shuichi gulped uncertainly though things low in his body began twitching.

An all-knowing smile crossed Eiri’s face as he vanished into the walk-in closet.

Shuichi collapsed against the mattress. Tugging at one of the pillows, he held it over his face to muffle any sounds he would make. Then tossed it aside with a contented sigh. Did it make him vain to admit that he loved his life? Well, despite the psychotic bitch that was after him anyway.

 

* * *

 

Yawning, Shuichi scrubbed his achy eyes as he rolled back onto his other side and tucked the body pillow back between his legs. He fixed the blankets that had become twisted around him.

Now that he was in the last trimester of his pregnancy, Shuichi found he was becoming increasingly tired. It was not much of a surprise. Having gone through two pregnancies before this, one of them with twins, he had been expecting it. But this time it seemed to be worse than the other two times combined. It might have something to do with there being three babies developing within him. Everything seemed to be magnified thrice.

He was also finding it difficult to fall asleep at night again, something else he had anticipated. When he did manage to fall asleep, it was not very restful. Eiri tried giving him massages, but of course, they did not help him relax. They just riled him back up. Shuichi knew damn well Eiri did it on purpose. He was such a pervert. Taking naps throughout the middle of the day seemed to make up for the restless nights, when he could get them in anyways. Having four children--one confined to bed with a broken back, another one only seven months old and two other ones that acted like Tasmanian devils--made it hard to actually sleep during the day. It only worked when the twins were at school. It did not matter where he slept, whether it be in Eiri and his bedroom, the couch in the living room or somewhere else or whether Eiri forbid the boys from bothering him. Nothing seemed to work. Sleeping on his side with a pillow, either between his knees or under his belly did help him fall asleep at night occasionally, but it did not always work. He just could not wait to have his c-section and get these kids out of him.

Shuichi now saw his OB/GYN, Dr. Watabe, almost every day now. Typically, the norm this late in a pregnancy was a weekly visit to the doctor, but seeing as Shuichi was who he was, Dr. Watabe wanted to see him every day. Sometimes, it was every other day. She also came to the house. It was much safer, for a variety of reasons, and it seemed as if every time they saw her, she changed his due date. At first, she was saying it would be at the beginning of April. Now she was saying sometime in March. They were aiming for the week of March 23. He would be thirty-five weeks along then, but Shuichi was not holding his breath. He knew how multiple births went. The more fetuses developing within an expectant mother, the earlier the due date typically. Because he was pregnant with triplets, Dr. Watabe wanted to wait as long as possible so that they had enough time to develop. In the end though, it did not matter what Dr. Watabe or he wanted, prayed or hoped for. Yosuke, Shinta and Yukiko had the final say.

Feeling suddenly the heavy weight of sleep pressing over him, Shuichi yawned again and let his lids drift closed. It seemed like only seconds later when he was jerked away by a strange buzzing. Prying open heavy lidded eyes, Shuichi flitted his tired gaze around the room until his cellphone came within view. The screen was lit up and the phone itself, being on vibrate, was dancing across the nightstand. Propping himself up on his elbow, he reached over to his bedside table and grabbed his phone. A familiar name brought a wide grin to his face. Flopping back onto the bed, Shuichi grinned widely. The last vestiges of sleep vanished instantly as he answered the phone.

“Michael!”

“Hey, Shu,” greeted his long time friend. “What’s going on? I didn’t wake you, did I?”

“Not at all! No!”

“I completely forgot the time difference,” Michael said sheepishly.

Shuichi laughed. “I was up.”

“Oh?”

“I sent Eiri to the store.”

Michael laughed. “What was it this time?”

“Ice cream.”

“Mmm. Sounds good.”

“I know! Doesn’t it?”

“What kind you gonna get?”

“Don’t know. Told Eiri to call me when he got to the store. Something chocolate-y and nutty and marshmallow-y.”

“Hm…There’s…Rocky Road. I don’t know if they have that in Japan. Do they?”

“Rocky Road?” Sounded familiar.

“Yeah. You had it when we toured through North America once. It’s chocolate ice cream with nuts, marshmallows and chocolate pieces. One of my favorites.”

Shuichi was beginning to drool. “Oh,” he exclaimed suddenly. His free hand flew to his belly.

“Shu?” came Michael’s worried voice over the line.

“I think you made the babies hungry,” Shuichi chuckled lightly. “They’re beginning to grow restless.”

“Sorry,” the ex-bassist chuckled, though he didn‘t sound it. Then his tone turned serious. “I heard about Riku.”

Shuichi sighed. “Yeah.”

“How’s he doing? He broke his back?”

“Actually,” Shuichi said as he sat up and began piling the pillows up behind him, “it was a compression fracture.”

“Now, was that what you had?”

“No, I had bruising and fluid build up.”

“Ah, okay.”

“And of course, the nerves were damaged.”

“And you’re going in for surgery this summer to fix them?”

“Yeah.” Shuichi stifled a yawn.

“Tired?”

“Yeah, but I still want that ice cream.”

Michael laughed lightly. “So, Riku will be alright?”

Shuichi nodded. “He should make a full recovery.”

“Good!”

“He goes to see the doctor tomorrow, so…Actually, he’s doing better than the doctors thought.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. They’re surprised.”

“I’m glad he’s going to be okay.”

“Yeah. Me, too.”

“So, what’s he gonna do about school? Didn’t the semester start the other day? This was supposed to be his last semester, right?”

“Yup.”

“He’d have to take off, right? Until he’s healed?”

Shuichi scratched the back of his head. “Yeah,” he sighed. “He’s pretty bummed about that, but he didn’t have any other choice, so, he’s going to make it up this summer. That way, he will still be able to start Graduate school this fall in Kyoto.”

“That’s good. Hey, at least he’ll be around when his brothers and sister are born, huh?”

Shuichi instantly brightened. “Yeah, that’s right! We will definitely need all the help we can get. I’m trying to get Eiri to agree to hiring a nanny, or something, but so far, he’s against it. I tried telling him that most celebrities have one, but…”

“Maybe you can get your parents to move out to Nara.”

“You know, I never thought about that. My dad did retire last spring and they’re always complaining about how little they get to see the boys.”

“There ya go.”

“And our neighbors just put their house up for sale.”

“Really.” He wondered if it was just coincidence or if it had something to do with Shuichi’s newest stalker, which reminded him “What about Kane and Keitaro? How are they holding up?”

Shuichi sighed heavily. “Nightmares.”

“Oh, no,” Michael groaned.

Shuichi felt tears welling in his eyes. Sadness overwhelmed him, but underneath the grief of being forced to watch his boys suffer was a rising anger that has been simmering for the past month. Who the fuck did this stupid assed cunt bitch think she was? How dare she go after his children? Whatever problem she had with him was between her and him. She was going to pay for messing with his boys. “We have all of them, Riku too, seeing a psychiatrist and it seems to work for the most part, but…”

“Well, they went through a traumatic experience.”

Shuichi nodded with a heavy head and a heavier heart. He knew more than anyone what a traumatic experience could do to a person, but he could not comprehend how it must be for the boys being as young as they were. Thinking about his boys’ suffering brought back painful memories of his own harrowing experience. It had been nearly twenty years since then, but it was still as fresh as the day it happened. Shuichi gave a violent shudder and pushed it to the back of his mind. Mulling over his past made him remember his autobiography that he was supposed to be working on. He had not touched it since he received that phone call from his mother back in August in the middle of the night about his grandfather’s passing and in all honesty, he was not even sure if or when he would ever finish it. Though Shuichi did not like to leave things unfinished, he knew Eiri would not mind if his book never got finished.

“Hey,” came Michael’s suddenly chipper voice through the leaden silence that had enveloped the two friends. There was a sly edge to his voice. “Did you get the Christmas presents I sent you guys?”

Thankful for the sudden change in subjects, Shuichi arched his cramped back over the mound of pillows and ran his free hand through his hair. A wide toothy grin spread across his face. “Yeah! They were so cute,” he cooed.

A couple days before Christmas, they received a rather large package in the mail from Michael that contained presents for all of them.

Since this past summer, Kane’s personality has undergone a drastic change. Once a little on the girlie side, for which Eiri had always blamed Shuichi, Kane has developed a sudden passion for baseball and soccer. He was no longer interested in _Dora the Explorer_ , _Diego_ or _SpongeBob SquarePants_ , or any of those other shows that are for “babies”. He has finally become what Eiri called, “a little man”. Eiri himself gathered up all of Kane’s nightgowns out of the trash where Kane had tossed them and had a nice bonfire out in the backyard. Shuichi had mourned their loss. Hearing about his nephew’s sudden sports fascination, Michael sent Kane some sports equipment for Christmas. Since it still took a threat to get Kane to clean up his half of the bedroom, now instead of toys it was all of his baseball and soccer equipment all over the place. Shuichi wondered if having his hair lopped off had anything to do with his sudden personality change.

Keitaro was still the same, though. He was just a little bookworm so Michael sent him some books, which Keitaro finished reading within a week of receiving them.

Riku just got money, which he was fine with.

For the triplets, Michael gave them a whole bunch of little booties, bibs, pacifiers and the like.

“The kids loved their presents.”

“That’s good. What about you and Eiri?”

Shuichi’s mind went blank. “Me and Eiri what?” he asked.

“How did you and Eiri like your present?”

Knowing instantly what Michael was referring to, Shuichi’s face turned lobster red. “You know…”

“What?” Michael asked. His dark eyes sparkled in amusement.

“You got me into serious trouble.”

Michael chuckled.

“Well,” Shuichi pouted, “I didn’t know what you’d gotten us, so I…uhm…”

Michael just laughed.

“Don’t laugh,” Shuichi whined. “I had to tell the boys that it was a special rolling pin.” (1)

Michael laughed harder.

“But then they wanted to use it to make cookies…”

That sent Michael in hysterics. “Oh, God! I just pissed my pants!”

 

* * *

 

**En Route**

On Christmas morning, after all the presents had been torn into leaving the sitting room buried beneath countless layers of wrapping paper, bows, ribbon and tissue paper, a horn had sounded from outside. Their security detail had instantly been on alert. Tohma, Mika, that brainless idiot Sakuma and Eiri’s perverted brother were scheduled to come over later that day, but nobody was expecting anyone else, especially so earlier in the day. On guard, Satoshi and Sanami, who had been on duty, checked it out. They came back a few minutes later to inform Eiri that he was needed outside. Not sure what to expect, Eiri had been on his guard when he stepped out of the house.

To say he had been dumbfounded would be an understatement. There sitting in his driveway was a cobalt blue vintage 1969 Ferrari 365 GTS. It was the exact car he had been drooling over several months back when he saw the commercial for an antique car show during some movie Shuichi and he had been watching.

_“Merry Christmas, Eiri,”_ Shuichi had said as he rolled up behind him in his wheelchair.

The two-seater Ferrari 365 GTS was one of only twenty ever produced. It was a combination of the rear body from the 275 GTS and the 500 super fast front. It had a Columbo V-12 engine. The guy living in Minnesota that Shuichi had purchased the Ferrari from had completely remodeled the car. One of the improvements he made was to install power windows for the old hand cranked ones and updated the AC. The interior had been completely reupholstered in black leather and the exterior was freshly painted a dark cobalt blue. The Ferrari still retained the original factory hard top. With a twin double exhaust 4390cc SOHC engine, the Ferrari 365 GTS went from zero to sixty in five-point-nine seconds and reached top speeds of 175 MPH. The 60-degree vee-type V-engine ran on twelve cylinders and had three hundred twenty horses under the vented hood. It ran on gas-petrol and the transmission was manual, but it was a rear wheel drive vehicle and everything Eiri thought it would be. (2)

That night after everybody had gone to bed, Shuichi had allowed Eiri the opportunity to properly thank him before kicking his sorry ass to his office couch, which was where Eiri slept until their guests left and then he went back to the couch in the sitting room--until last night that was.

Behind the wheel of his Ferrari with Blade besides him in the passenger seat, Marcus and Kaoru were at the house with Shuichi and the boys, his gaze kept flitting to the rear view mirror every few seconds. A frown creased his forehead. Maybe it was just his paranoia. “Hey.”

“I see it,” Blade’s deep bass voice echoed within Eiri’s chest.

“Since we turned off our street.”

“Could be a cop,” Blade suggested, though he did not sound too convincing.

“…Maybe.” Somehow, Eiri doubted it.

“You think it’s that crazy chick?”

“…Don’t know.” He hoped not.

 

* * *

 

**Shindou-Uesugi Residence**

“You finished?” Shuichi demanded feeling put out as Michael continued laughing hysterically at his angst. Michael would not find the whole incident so amusing if he were in Shuichi’s shoes. Kane and Keitaro still bring up the “French Rolling Pin”. Damn Michael!

Laughing, Michael said, “Yeah.” He cleared his throat and wiped the tears from his eyes. “Okay. Sorry.”

Shuichi did not believe him.

“I heard…” Michael’s voice drifted off into a chuckle that he tried to cover with a cough. “I heard,” he tried again, “that you agreed to appear on Desert Star’s album?”

“Sorta,” Shuichi confessed. “They wanted me to make a guest appearance on a remake of, uhm…Brooke Hogan’s song?” For the life of him, he couldn’t remember the name of the song at the moment.

Michael made a noise over the line that made it clear that he knew exactly what song Shuichi was speaking about. “God. My oldest used to play that song on endless repeat.”

Michael Kagawa-Montgomery was a Japanese-American with black eyes and blond hair just a tad lighter than Eiri. He appeared as Japanese as the next person did except for his hair. It was the only indication that he was not pure Japanese. He had been an exchange student at Tokyo University when he joined Bad Luck with Shuichi’s twin cousins Kai and Kei Shiro. The three became members of Bad Luck after Claude “K” Winchester resigned as their manager.

K used to be Sakuma Ryuichi’s manager, but decided to manage Bad Luck after watching them open for ASK at Zepp Tokyo. K wanted to do for Bad Luck what he did for Sakuma Ryuichi and that was exactly what he did. But after nearly a decade with them, K decided there was no more he could do for Bad Luck and decided his services would be better appreciated with what had been a fledgling band at the time, a rock band that called themselves Ninku--who‘d won a contest put on by a national radio program to be the opening act for Bad Luck at one of their concerts; the Bad Lucks fans had loved them as had K, who has been their manager ever since. Ninku has since gone on to be one of the greatest rock bands ever.

When K left, Bad Luck was left in a significant bind. There was no way that Tohma would offer Rage from XMR records in New York City her old position back as the manager of Bad Luck. Instead, Suguru was offered the position, which he gladly accepted. Unfortunately, he could not run the band and be in the band at the same time. While he still retained his producing and musical arranging roles within the band as well as played with them quite often, he had been forced to retire from his full time role as the keyboardist. This in turn left a huge hole in the band.

Not long after, at a family reunion, Kei and Kai overheard Shuichi’s plight. They’d had a band of their own in one form or another since they were in middle school, but once they graduated from high school and went on to college, they lost their bassist and their lead singer. That was where Michael came in. He became their new bassist, but that still left them a member short. They were still in need of a singer. So, they decided to take a chance and auditioned to become the newest members of the band. Their gamble paid off. Hiro, Suguru and Tohma loved them. The three joined Bad Luck as its newest members. They were fortunate enough that the legions of Bad Luck fans welcomed them warmly.

A year after joining, Michael married his college sweetheart, Anzu, and had three beautiful children--two daughters and a son ages thirteen, ten and seven respectively. Unfortunately, Michael and Anzu’s marriage has been a little on the rocky side for some time now. From what Shuichi learned from his cousins’ at their grandfather’s funeral, they were now separated.

A frown drew Shuichi’s brows together and tilted the corners of his mouth downwards. He wondered if there was something behind this late night phone call other then a simple call to say, “Hi”. It was strange for Michael to “forget” the time difference. Michael had lived in Japan from the time he was in middle school to about the time Bad Luck disbanded seven years ago. Essentially, Michael spent most of his life in Japan. So, for him not to realize that it was four o’clock in the morning here in Nara, Japan, something must have happened. The only other time Shuichi could think of that Michael had been so confused about the time difference had been last spring when Anzu had a miscarriage.

Michael’s voice drew Shuichi out of his thought. “You going to do it?”

It took several seconds for Shuichi to remember what it was they were supposed to be talking about. “I started,” Shuichi admitted in a distracted manner. “But with everything that has been going on…”

“Right”

Shuichi sighed. “I think Ryu’s going to do it instead.”

“Sakuma Ryuichi?”

“Yeah.”

“I didn’t think he knew how to rap.”

Shuichi shrugged. “Mm. I’m sure he’ll think of something.”

“Yeah, you’re right. This is Sakuma Ryuichi after all.”

“So instead,” Shuichi said over a yawn, “we’re going to be working on a song called ‘Bird’ that I’ve been working on.”

“Cool,” Michael exclaimed.

“Actually…” Shuichi was a little unsure how to say this or how Michael would take it. The only person who knew that he has been thinking about this for some time now was Eiri and of course, he supported Shuichi no matter what he decided to do. What with him being confined to bed, Shuichi had so much time on his hands. “The song won’t be on their album.”

There was silence. Then, “What do you mean?”

This time it was Shuichi who was unsure what to say. “I-I, uh, was thinking of putting, of putting out a--solo CD.” It was a whisper by the end.

“What? Really? That’s great, Shuichi!”

Shuichi was floored. “You mean you aren’t mad?”

“Why would I be?”

“I don’t know. I just thought-”

“Shuichi,” Michael scolded. “If this is what you want, then I’m going to be behind you one hundred percent.”

A smile flashed the gloom from Shuichi’s face. “Thanks, Michael.” He had been afraid that the guys would be angry with him for wanting to do this on his own. He knew that people were eager for something new from Bad Luck.

“But…”

“But what?” Shuichi asked suspiciously.

“You gotta let me help produce your album.”

Shuichi snorted and then started chuckling. Michael really was something else, but that got Shuichi into thinking. If Michael wanted to help produce his album, that meant that Michael would have to move back to Japan and with his marriage as it was, was that really a good idea? “It would be an honor, Michael, but what about Anzu? Do you really think that she’d want to upset-?”

“Actually, Shuichi,” Michael interrupted, “she packed up the kids and moved back in with her parents.” His voice was so low that Shuichi had to strain his ears in order to hear him.

Shuichi was stunned into silence. “But…don’t her folks live in Hiroshima?”

“They used to. They moved to Nagasaki some time ago to be near their son who lives there with his wife.”

“…But…” That made no sense. “Michael what’s going on? I thought the two of you were just separated? Why would she do something like that? What about her job? Besides, it’s in the middle of the school year. I mean-?”

“Because…”

“Because what?” Shuichi demanded.

“…I was served today.”

Shuichi’s mind went blank. “Huh?” he asked deadpanned.

“Served. I was served Shuichi.”

“Served what?”

Michael sighed heavily and fingered his hair with his free hand. “Anzu wants a divorce.”

As what he said slowly sunk in, Shuichi’s eyes steadily grew wider. “Oh, my God. Michael! Why? I-I-I thought-I thought the two of you were going for marriage counseling?”

“I don’t know,” Michael said. His voice was strained. “I moved into an apartment when we separated and I thought things were going well in counseling, but…today at work…” His voice cracked and he could not say anymore.

“Oh, Michael, I’m so sorry.” Tears welled up in Shuichi’s eyes.

“…Me, too.” Michael cleared his throat. “But, unfortunately…these things happen.”

 

**…To Be Continued…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) Do I really need to tell you guys what this “special rolling pin” is?  
> (2) This car is based off of a car that a guy from Minnesota was selling at the time I originally wrote this.


	12. While You Were Sleeping I Was Close Enough to Touch

**Chapter 12: While You Were Sleeping I Was Close Enough to Touch**

**Oda Residence - Nara, Japan**

In what could be deemed as the foyer of Officer Oda Hideo’s small apartment, but was nothing more than the entry hall, if it could be called even that, a mirror in desperate need of a cleaning in an antiqued bronze frame hung above a chipped half-moon table that his girlfriend garbage picked last summer.

The twenty-something-year-old police officer was scrambling to get ready for work. He should have replaced Hiroyuki an hour and a half ago, but had instead overslept.

His uncle had been admitted to the hospital several days ago, undergoing treatment for a brain tumor. The outlook did not look so good. His aunt and his mother, who was his uncle’s twin sister, were not taking the news too well. The whole family was worried about the both of them.

Hideo secured his hat on his head before grabbing his car keys from the dark blue ceramic bowl his little brother made for him.

A heavy pounding shattered the eerily silent early morning hours of the apartment.

Hideo glanced at his watch. It was almost four o’clock in the morning. Who in their right mind could that be? He turned towards the front door. Sliding back the chain, he turned the dead bolt. The tumblers shifted with unnaturally loud thuds.

“Hideo,” came the panicked sounding male voice from the other side of the door.

“Taisuke?” Hideo threw open the apartment door and was surprised to find his older cousin Yokoiwabara Taisuke standing on the other side. Taisuke was his father‘s younger sister’s son. “What are you doing here?” If anybody found out that Taisuke was here, Hideo was going to be in some serious trouble. He grabbed his cousin’s arm and pulled him into the apartment. Hideo glanced up and down the hallway. Empty. Silent. He turned back towards his cousin and let the door swing shut behind him. “You realize that the police have been looking for you? Where the hell have you been?”

Taisuke skirted his younger cousin to peer out into the hallway. Nothing. He thought he’d heard something.

“Taisuke?”

Something was wrong Hideo decided as he watched Taisuke pace back and forth wringing his hands in a nervous gesture that was so unlike him.

“Taisuke, talk to me,” Hideo pleaded. “If you’re in trouble…”

Something caught Taisuke’s attention out of the corner of his eye. Halting his restless pacing, he slowly turned. He forgot how to breathe. His heart stilled in his chest. His feet became blocks of leaded cement.

Seeing terror slide onto his cousin’s suddenly white face as Taisuke stared wide eyed at something behind him put Hideo instantly on alert.

As Hideo’s hand crept slowly for his gun secured at his side, he staggered, but regained his balance before he could even undo the snap that secured his police issued handgun in its holster. He met Taisuke’s wide shocked filled obsidian eyes. His cousin’s mouth was moving, but Hideo could not hear anything over the beating of his heart. He touched his back tentatively. Bringing his hand around, his face went white when he saw it painted red.

His last thought was, “Some cop I am. I didn’t even hear anything.”

 

* * *

 

**En Route**

Clear. Maybe he was just being paranoid. It was possible. They have all been on edge, him especially, for months and rightfully so. Besides, it was not as if they lived in the middle of nowhere. There was bound to be other people out on the streets, even if it was four o’clock in the morning.

Ever since Shuichi received that photograph at the hospital last month with that warning that has since been established to have been written in actual human blood and not paint, everything has been quiet. There have been no strange vehicles following any of them nor has there been any photographs slipped into their mailbox.

What should be a good thing has just made everybody that more antsy.

An attentive Blade was besides him. Shuichi’s pint of rocky road ice cream--that he had insisted on having no matter what--along with several other different kinds of ice cream and some other junk food that Shuichi has been craving recently, was locked safely in the trunk of his Ferrari.

Eiri turned onto his street, hoping against hope that he really was just being paranoid.

 

* * *

 

**Shindou-Uesugi Residence - Nara, Japan**

Officer Shibasaki Hiroyuki watched as the red taillights of Uesugi-san’s car disappeared through the wrought iron gates. A cool breeze tickled in through the open window of his car.

He rolled up his window.

_“We were being followed,”_ said the voice of Uesugi-san’s bodyguard echoing in his head.

That had instantly put Hiroyuki on alert. _“Was it-?”_

_“It was too dark to tell.”_

_“If it was,”_ Uesugi-san had added as he puffed away at a cigarette, _“she was driving a different car. That much I could tell.”_

That was a given. After causing such a serious accident last month in Osaka, Rinjin had ditched her damaged car in a Kyoto parking ramp. Nobody in his or her right mind would be caught dead driving a damaged car that the police were looking for. That meant she had to get a new one, but with her being a wanted felon, where could she possibly secure one without the police being alerted? She could have stolen one, but the police were keeping an eye on all auto thefts in the surrounding area.

They knew she had not left the area, at least not by plane, train or bus. Her picture was plastered just about everywhere. There was also a huge reward out for information leading to her capture. Who would not jump at the chance for a million yen or two?

No, Rinjin had herself a new accomplice. That was the only explanation.

Hiroyuki checked the time.

First, Hideo never shows up and now someone had followed Uesugi-san through town. Either Hideo had been taken off watch and Hiroyuki had not been informed and one of his fellow officers had followed Uesugi-san to the store to make sure nothing happened to him, or something more serious was going on.

“213 to Dispatch,” Officer Shibasaki Hiroyuki called over his radio.

“Go ahead 213,” came the static filled reply.

A feeling of dread washed over him.

 

* * *

 

Eiri stepped into the kitchen from the garage and setting the armload of groceries down, reactivated the security system as Blade shut and locked the door behind him before he disappeared within the shadows of the house.

Eiri would prefer if Blade and the other guards took their shoes off in the house as per Japanese custom, but he understood why they kept them on.

He returned his keys to the lockbox where the other keys to both the house and their cars were kept. He hesitated when he spied the empty hook where the keys to Riku’s Tiburon GS had once hung. His heart ached and his eyes grew misty as he thought of what could have happened one month ago. He shook those thoughts aside. It was pointless to dwell on what could have happened. The fact of the matter was that his boys were fine. They were alive and as lively as ever. He shut and locked the lock box with a small smile on his face. Besides, that spot will not be vacant for very long.

Shedding his shoes, Eiri carried the bags into the kitchen. He placed the bags of chips and other goodies he bought in the cupboard above the refrigerator, which was away from everybodies’ but his reach. Folding the cloth bag, he set it aside and pulled the second bag in front of him. He really liked these reusable cloth grocery bags. They were cheap and took up half the space as the paper and plastic ones. Reaching inside the bag, he pulled out several cartons of ice cream. Knowing Shuichi, everything he bought will be gone in a day.

Finding the rocky road ice cream that Shuichi wanted, Eiri put it aside and stacked the rest in the freezer.

Eiri glanced over his shoulder when he heard soft mumbling. He chuckled lightly. In his sleep, Riku had somehow managed to kick his blanket off. He wondered if that was where Keitaro got it from.

 

* * *

 

Setting the spoon and the ice cream down on the table besides the armchair that Shuichi commandeered when he was down here, Eiri crept quietly to the hospital bed where Riku was sleeping. He gently untangled the covers and pulled them up around his adopted son’s shoulders.

He brushed the boy’s silken dark brown locks.

It was hard to believe that Riku was biologically related to Yuki. It had taken Eiri such a long time to get over his jealousy of Riku (for taking Shuichi’s attention away from him) and his own self-hatred for taking away Riku’s biological father to be able to think of Riku as something other than a nuisance and a pest, but he eventually was able to accept him and Eiri would not change his decision for anything in the world. If anyone asked, he would deny it though. More out of principle than anything.

Picking up the ice-covered ice cream container and spoon, Eiri crept like a specter through the dark, silent house. He acknowledged Maki who stepped out of the shadows as he climbed the staircase to the master bedroom. If he did not get this ice cream to Shuichi soon, Shuichi would have his head. What worried him the most, was which head Shuichi’s hormones would choose to lop off.

 

* * *

 

**Oda Residence**

Sergeant Ohsato Yasuhiro and his partner Officer Shinohara Akio carefully approached the small five-hundred plus square foot apartment of Officer Oda Hideo, a man who was rapidly rising in the ranks. The boy had a bright future ahead of him.

Yaushiro knew Hideo was having some family issues so he was not too overtly concerned about him not showing up for his shift.

As soon as the apartment door came within sight, Yasuhiro was instantly on alert. His went for his gun. He signaled to his wet-behind-the-ears partner who also brought out his gun.

Both approached the open door cautiously with their guns at the ready. Each stood on either side of the open doorway. Yasuhiro signaled silently to Akio.

With a nod, Akio went in first. He pushed open the door and entered the apartment. “Sergeant,” called Akio from inside.

Yasuhiro stepped forward and that was when he saw him. Laying face down with a hole in the middle of his back several feet from where he stood was Hideo’s still body. “Shit,” he cursed. “Officer down. Officer down,” he called frantically into his radio. He rattled off his location as he bent down next to his officer’s body. He could not find a pulse.

“Looks like there’s another one, Sir,” Akio informed his superior as the fresh from the academy police officer crossed the room towards the second victim who was laying face down in a pool of blood with what looked to be several bullet wounds to his back. He checked for any signs of life. “No pulse, Sir.” Akio’s eyes went wide when he caught a good look of the man’s face. “Sir!” He turned to face Yasuhiro. “It’s that guy that the Osaka Police are looking for! That photographer!”

Yasuhiro’s head snapped up. “What?!”

 

* * *

 

**Shindou-Uesugi Residence - Nara, Japan**

“Ow! Son of a bitch!”

Eiri heard his husband’s disgruntled voice over the sound of the flushing toilet as he stepped into the master suite. “Baby?”

“Yeah, Eiri,” answered Shuichi from the bathroom.

“You alright?” Eiri closed the door to the bedroom behind him as he crossed the suite to the bathroom.

“Yeah.”

There was the sound of rushing water.

“What happened?”

There was silence as the sound of rushing water vanished. Seconds later, the bathroom door opened and a very pregnant and very naked Shuichi walked out.

“I banged my hip against the sink,” he said, rubbing his right side.

Thinking what a klutzy idiot he had fallen in love with, Eiri shook his head in disbelief. “Here.” He helped his wattling partner with his free hand to the bed.

“Oh, hey guess who call-is that mine?” Shuichi asked catching sight of the ice cream in Eiri’s hand. He was already drooling.

“Not if you don’t get that cute little ass of yours in bed.”

Shuichi halted his shuffle-scoot into the bed and glanced at Eiri with wide sparkling violet eyes. “You think I have a cute ass, Eiri?”

“No,” Eiri denied, ignoring the hearts in Shuichi’s eyes.

A slow grin spread across Shuichi’s face. “Yes, you do,” he contradicted as he settled himself in bed. He made sure to present Eiri with a nice view of his ass as he did. He threw in a good shake just for good measure.

“I said no such thing.” The little dance Eiri’s nether regions performed contradicted that statement. He crawled under the covers next to Shuichi and handed him the ice cream. He could not feel his hand.

“Uh huh,” Shuichi hummed as he pried off the lid and handed it to Eiri who set it on the nightstand.

“So?” Eiri led, turning back towards Shuichi.

“So what?” Shuichi mumbled around a mouth full of chocolate ice cream.

“Who called?”

For a moment, Shuichi looked confused. “Oh! Michael called.”

“Yeah? What he want?”

Shuichi face fell. He watched dejectedly as his spoon chopped into the semi-hard ice cream. The ice cream burned down his throat. “He and Anzu are getting divorced.”

Eiri frowned. “Weren’t they in counseling?”

“That’s what I said!”

“Hm.”

“…I feel so bad for him,” Shuichi muttered.

Eiri shrugged. “These things happen, Shu. I told you that before.”

“I know,” Shuichi nodded. But that does not mean he had to like it. “But hey,” he continued trying to cheer himself up, “he said he wanted to help produce my album.”

“Did he now?”

“Yep!”

“…And did you talk to Nakano and Fujisaki yet?”

“…Well…,” Shuichi drawled. “Sorta.”

Eiri raised an eyebrow. “Is that a yes or a no?”

Shuichi shrugged. He speared his ice cream with his spoon. He did indeed speak with Hiro and Fujisaki at Christmas about deciding not to do that song for Desert Star after all and they understood his reasoning why, but Shuichi had not been able to say anything about his solo album he, hopefully, planned to start some time this summer. He talked with Kei and Kai, though, and like Michael, they supported him one-hundred percent, but Fujisaki, and most especially Hiro, were different.

Eiri heaved a disgusted sigh. “You gotta tell them Shindou Shuichi.”

“I know and I will…eventually…,” he muttered.

Eiri snorted. “Baka.”

A peaceful lull surrounded them as Shuichi gobbled down his ice cream like a starving man. Eiri chuckled in amusement. He reached out a hand towards Shuichi, but Shuichi denied him by turning on his side with his back to Eiri.

Eiri was not about to give up. With a devilish gleam in his golden eyes, he slid across the bed and pressed his hardened length against Shuichi’s cute little ass.

Again nothing.

Frowning, he swept aside Shuichi’s jet-black locks and pressed a series of chaste kisses down Shuichi’s throat to his shoulder.

Once again nothing.

Eiri ran his hands lightly down Shuichi’s side. He knew how ticklish Shuichi was.

A shudder raced up Shuichi’s spine and it had nothing to do with the ice cream. His cock twitched in reaction.

With a self-satisfied expression on his face, Eiri gripped Shuichi’s waist lightly. Pressing his thumbs into the small of Shuichi’s back, he slowly began to massage Shuichi’s back.

“Hm. You always take care of me,” Shuichi whispered breathily.

“Of course. You are carrying my sons after all.”

Shuichi reached around and swatted Eiri. “Hey! What about little Yuki?”

Eiri raised an eyebrow. “Little Yuki?”

“What?” Shuichi turned slightly to face him. “You’d prefer we call your daughter ‘Little Eiri’?”

“That would be a start.”

Shuichi laughed and turned back around. He felt the bed jostle. His heart was hammering in his chest and his breathing had sped up in anticipation as Eiri disappeared underneath the covers. His laughter choked to a halt. Drawing in a sharp breath, Shuichi stilled as he felt Eiri press his lips to the small of his back. Tears prickled his eyes.

Eiri pulled back slightly.

Shuichi set his ice cream down on the edge of the nightstand by his head.

With his right hand, Eiri lightly traced the lines of the herald of seven multi-colored butterflies tattooed at the small of Shuichi’s back. These beautiful, majestic creatures encircled a male fairy with long flowing blond hair that was blowing gently about his muscular frame. White angel wings spread out from his creamy white back. A gauzy mesh piece of fabric covered his groin.

Eiri had very nearly killed Shuichi when he came home one day several years ago with the tattoo.

_“It was either this or ‘Property of Eiri. No trespassing’,”_ Shuichi had explained.

Truth be told, Eiri had liked he sound of that last one.

_“I’ll keep that in mind for next time,”_ Shuichi had snorted. _“But,”_ he had turned suddenly serious, _“I felt it was appropriate to get this one.”_

When he asked about what the tattoo represented, Shuichi told him, _“A memorial. Fairies are said to represent angels.”_

_“And you know that how?”_

_“Looked it up.”_

_“Ah. And the butterflies?”_ At the time, there had been only six butterflies. Shuichi only recently went in to get the seventh, which represented Baby Kira.

_“Our boys and Koji and Jacob.”_

Eiri had done the calculations in his head. _“That still leaves one butterfly.”_

Shuichi had shaken his head. _“No, it doesn’t.”_

What Eiri had failed to realize was that apparently it was the anniversary of that awful day when he very nearly lost everything and that sixth butterfly represented the child they lost.

Shuichi had plans of going back sometime this spring to get three more butterflies added to it.

Eiri snapped out of his by a muffled sob.

Spooning his husband from behind, he wrapped his arms tenderly but securely around Shuichi. “You’re a good mother, Shuichi,” he whispered.

Sniffling, Shuichi turned around in Eiri’s arms. “Really?” He searched Eiri’s face with those wide vivid violet eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Eiri cupped Shuichi’s cheek and smiled. “Yes really.”

They leaned towards one another. Just as their lips were about to meet, a loud wail sounded over the baby monitor startling the would-be lovers.

Eiri cursed.

Shuichi tried to still his racing heart.

Tossing back the covers, Eiri stalked out of the bedroom for the nursery. He very nearly tore the door off its hinges.

Shuichi giggled. Reaching for the ice cream container, he frowned when his spoon scrapped the bottom. “Damn,” Shuichi muttered. Empty. He wondered if there was any more.

 

* * *

 

When Eiri stepped into his eight month old’s room, the crying came to an automatic stop. Watery eyes that sparkled like amethysts, just like his mother’s, peered at him through the twilight-hidden room. There was a squeal and something that sounded vaguely like “dada”. “What’s all this racquet, huh?” Eiri breathed as he crossed towards the crib.

Kira’s whole body seemed to spasm as he gleefully.

At eight months old, Kira was just beginning to form words. He could pull himself up, stand up and sit up without any help, though he tended to be a little top heavy and toppled over. He could also walk, but only with help.

“Woh,” Eiri exclaimed when his son lost his balance and collapsed.

Kira’s face crumbled.

Just as the water works began, Eiri reached into the crib and lifted Kira up into the air above his head. Kira squealed with laughter. Eiri did this several more times. Each time, his son’s excitement grew.

Deciding to see if Kira needed to be changed, Eiri checked his diaper. “No stinky,” he told his son. He held Kira out at arms length and then brought him in close. “No stinky,” he repeated. Kira laughed, which in turn caused Eiri to chuckle. “Come on,” he said, “let’s go see Mama.” He thanked the Almighty that nobody had witnessed the fool he had just made of himself.

 

* * *

 

Shuichi looked up from his laptop when the door creaked open. A smile brightened his face when he watched his husband and youngest son walk into the bedroom. “Look at you,” he exclaimed, “up at four o’clock in the morning.”

Kira smiled with a little squeal from around the bottle in his mouth.

“He did have an extra long nap yesterday,” Eiri reminded Shuichi.

“True.”

“What you doing?” Eiri asked as he slid into the bed. He maneuvered Kira so that the eight month old was facing Shuichi. He leaned his head back and gently moved Kira’s free hand away from his face.

“Checking my email,” Shuichi confessed. Seeing as he was up anyway.

Eiri made an undistinguishable noise. He had not checked his in a while and for one simple reason…

“Got an email from Mizuki.”

…And that would be it.

“She wants me to remind you that your deadline was two weeks ago.”

“Yeah and…?”

Shuichi tsked. “Eiri.”

“What?” Eiri replied innocently.

Shuichi sighed and shook his head.

“Hey, what about you? You haven’t touched your book since Aug--ust.” Too late, he knew he said too much when he saw Shuichi’s face crumble. He winced and mentally kicked himself. “Sorry, Baby.” He reached out with his free hand and tucked a stray lock of black hair behind Shuichi’s ear.

Shuichi grabbed Eiri’s hand and shook his head with a forced smile. He opened his mouth, but whatever he would have said never came as a signal came from his laptop sounded.

Eiri glanced over Shuichi’s shoulder. “Looks like it’s from your sister,” he said as he read the user name.

“Yeah.”

“figured u would b up,” read the message.

“She’s saying to turn on the news,” Shuichi said, reading the second half of the message.

“Why?” Eiri asked.

Shuichi referred to his younger sister short, but commanding Instant Message and shrugged. “Doesn’t say.”

Eiri pulled out the remote from the nightstand by his side of the bed. He aimed it at the flat screen HD television firmly secured to the wall across from the bed. He turned it from the Pay-Per-View channel that it was on to one of the half a dozen twenty-four hour national news stations. Shuichi and he ordered Resident Evil before they went to bed. Though they had not been passed more than the first five minutes when something more important came up.

“And this just in,” said the newscaster who looked refreshed and perky even though the sun was still hours from rising, “we are getting word from Nara this morning that a police officer and his cousin were found shot to death…”

Shuichi’s naturally tan complexion went ashen. He felt suddenly woozy.

Eiri’s already pale complexion went white. The nearly empty bottle fell from their son’s mouth. It bounced down Eiri’s arm that he had clasped around Kira’s waist and rolled across the mattress. Kira’s head lolled forward. Heavy lids drooped closed.

“…details are unknown at this time and the identities of the victims are being withheld pending notification…”

“Oh God,” Shuichi whispered. His voice shook. “Oh God.” Was it… _her_? Was _she_ responsible for this?

Turning Kira around, Eiri held his sleeping son against his shoulder and patted his back.

His confused mind played back over the events of earlier. He knew, and he knew that Shuichi did as well, that Rinjin Karin was more than likely the one responsible for this latest turn of events. There was no question in his mind. He did wonder why though. If that “cousin” was the photographer that vanished after witnessing Rinjin at the hospital last month then Eiri could understand why she would want to eliminate him. But what about that cop? Was it just a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time? He also wondered at what time it happened. If the murder happened at the same time as when he was being followed, then it was possible that both he and Blade had been just paranoid after all. There was another possibility, though. She could have found a new partner. He knew he should say something to Shuichi, but he wanted to wait until he knew for certain one way or another. But then he remembered his last punishment for keeping quiet.

His decision made, he spoke up. “We were followed.”

Shuichi slowly turned towards him.

Eiri told his husband about seeing that car pulling behind him as soon as he turned from their street and how the mysterious vehicle then stayed with him as he drove through town to the twenty-four hour convenience store on the edge of town. The car was gone when Eiri came out, which led him to wonder if he had been paranoid.

A mixture of emotions waged a heated battle inside of Shuichi. He was not sure whether to be angry that Eiri did not confess as soon as he came home that he suspected someone had been following him or worried that something could have happened to him just as it almost happened to their boys.

Eiri added, “Just remember it might not have been her. Okay?”

Astonished, Shuichi opened his mouth, but closed it when nothing came out. And that justified his waiting until now to say something?

Another signal sounded from the computer. It was Maiko again. Glad for the distraction, Shuichi read the new message.

“theres something i havent told u.”

“?”

“its bout HER.”

Even without asking, Shuichi knew exactly whom it was his baby sister was referring to. “HER” was the “she-bitch”, as Maiko called her, who ruined her marriage.

“i no who she is.”

Shuichi exchanged an astonished glance with Eiri.

 

* * *

 

**That Night – Nara, Japan**

Floorboards creaked as silent footsteps crept down the twilight-strung hallway. A door at the end of the hall protested loudly in the unnatural silence of the empty house as it swung open. White slipper-ed feet shuffled blindly across the black void to the only window. The gold and black filigree curtain that had been left behind was pulled aside. A pale, drawn face with stringy blonde hair was illuminated briefly as the rays of the full moon appeared from behind a stray cloud only to disappear seconds later by another cloud. It looked as if a storm was rolling in. Dark eyes hardened as they gazed angrily over the stone wall and through the hibernating branches of the trees that separated her from her target. Fingers tightened and knuckles went white.

She would have her revenge, one way or another; Shindou Shuichi would be hers.

 

* * *

 

**A Couple of Days Later - Osaka Police Department - Osaka, Japan**

The door to the interrogation room creaked open and a plainclothes detective stepped inside. He stepped aside and gestured with his hand to allow their witness to enter. “This way, please, Miss.”

A woman whose brown hair was fashioned in a stylish pixie and was so dark it could fool one into believing it was actually black, crept cautiously into the room. Her features resembled that of her famous older brother so much so that they were often mistaken for twins. Still others thought she was the elder sibling for her attitude seemed so much more mature then that of her brother. She was not sure if she should take that as a compliment or not.

She glanced around nervously. The room she was led to was small, very small. It was a tighter fit than her bathroom and her bathroom was barely large enough to hold the bathtub. A table a quarter the size of her small dinning table was pressed up against the wall to her left with two not so comfortable looking chairs. In the back upper corner was a video camera aimed directly at the table. The red light was blinking. It was nothing like on those criminal drama shows she loved so much. It was somewhat disappointing.

“Please, have a seat, Ms, uh…”

“Maiko. Shindou Maiko.” Her divorce may not have been finalized as of yet, but she would be damned if she used that bastard’s name.

Maiko lowered herself into the chair facing away from the door.

“Thank you for coming in to meet with us. I am Detective Shigeno and this is my partner Detective Misawa,” he indicated the second man behind her.

Maiko inclined her head in greeting.

“We were told that you might have some information for us?” Misawa asked.

Maiko nodded grimly. Unfortunately, that was all too true.

“And how did you happen to come by this information, if I may ask?” Shigeno asked taking the chair opposite her.

Lowering her head, Maiko’s grip on her purse tightened. Her knuckles turned white.

“Shindou-san?”

Gathering herself, Maiko took a deep breath and plunged right in.

She confessed about coming home from an extended business trip early one day to find her husband’s car in the driveway. That was unusual in and of itself because her husband was supposed to have been working overtime as he usually did during the summer. While a little curious as to what had brought him home so early, she had also been ecstatic. With two young children, the two of them had very little time to themselves any more, so she figured this would be a great opportunity for them to spend a little quality time together. But when she walked into the house, she instantly knew that something was not right. The house was too quiet. Then she heard it. Not wanting to believe what her ears were telling her, she silently crept towards the master bedroom and that was where she found her husband in the arms of another woman.

Maiko blocked any attempts at feeling anything as she relayed her tale to the two police officers. She had shed too many tears and lost too many countless nights of sleep as it was. The bastard was not worth it, not by far.

“I didn’t think anything more about her.” And why would she? That bitch had ruined her marriage to her president of the honor society high school sweetheart. While Maiko could give her some leeway, or thought she could at the time anyway, that two-timing bastard should have known better. But that was the thing about most men. They thought with their dicks and not with the heads that held the brain. If you do not use it, then you lose it.

“That’s understandable,” Shigeno nodded sympathetically.

Maiko cleared her throat violently. She was not going to cry. “Until last month,” she added, “when my daughter pointed her out from a news broadcast.” She could still feel the shock at learning that “the other woman” had not been just some clueless blond after all.

Shigeno and Misawa exchanged a knowing glance.

Misawa stepped forward and handed his partner the file he had brought with him.

Shigeno opened the file and pulled out a glossy photograph. He pushed the picture across the table towards her. “Is this her?”

Maiko picked up the photograph from the table and held it up in front of her. She studied the image of the woman with the dull, unkempt blond hair that looked fried beyond repair, the unnaturally full lips that looked like two balloons that had been surgically applied to her face, the unnaturally prominent cheekbones jutting from either side of her face and the unnaturally anorexic aquiline nose in the harsh florescent lighting. She knew immediately. This was her. This was that chick that she found in her husband’s arms last summer. This was the woman who tried to take the lives of her nephews right before Christmas. This woman was out for her brother’s blood because of something that he’d had no control over.

Her breathing quickened. Her pulse was racing. With shaking hands, she slid the photograph back onto the table and nodded with short jerking movements. She was fuming in barely bridled anger. The tears had stopped long ago. That bastard was not worth it.

Shigeno slid forward a little. “Shindou-san,” he said, “are you sure this was the woman you saw with your husband?”

“Ex,” Maiko corrected, “and yes. One hundred percent.” She could even remember seeing a dark gray Honda parked outside the house that day too. Of course, she had thought nothing of it at the time. Why should she? It was not as if they had lived in the middle of nowhere where something like that would stand out.

“Shindou-san,” Misawa spoke up breaking into her thoughts. He walked further into the room and moved so that the woman could see him easily without having to crane her neck. “Where is your ex-husband now? Is there some way we can contact him?”

Maiko pursed her lips into a tight, angry line. “I haven’t seen him since August,” she bit bitterly. “He didn’t so much as call his children on Christmas. Bastard,” she hissed. She hoped he fried in Hell. No man was worthy of being called a father if he chose his mistress over his children. Your children were supposed to be the most important thing in your life, not God, not your lover, not your friends, not your job, not school--nothing.

Shigeno and Misawa stepped into the far corner of the itsy interrogation room and conversed quietly. After a couple minutes, Shigeno stepped forward. “Shindou-san, what kind of car does your ex-husband drive?” he asked the woman.

Confused by the unexpected question, Maiko blinked. What did it matter? “I don’t know. When we were married, he had a silver Series 3 BMW.”

 

* * *

 

**Shindou-Uesugi Residence - Nara, Japan**

“Are you sure, Shindou-san?” Misawa pressed half an hour later.

Lounging on a mound of pillows in the mahogany queen sized bed in the master bedroom suite, Shuichi nodded. He smoothed the white feather down quilt over his ever-expanding belly. “That’s what he told me.”

“Do you know if he was able to get the license plate?” Shigeno asked the singer.

Shuichi shook his head.

“Or see the driver?”

Again, Shuichi shook his head. “All I know is what he told me, but you can ask Blade,” he said referring to his bodyguard that had accompanied his husband to the store the morning Eiri spotted the car he had suspected of following him.

“We would like to speak with Uesugi-san as well,” Misawa said. “Is that possible?”

“Eiri took Riku to the doctor’s. They should be back in a couple of hours.”

Thankfully, Eiri had taken Kira with him to their adopted son’s appointment and seeing as Kane and Keitaro were both at school, Shuichi finally had a moment of peace.

He was glad that Maiko had come down for a visit. They could definitely use the help around the house. It was too bad that it had to be under these circumstances, though. Because her husband was MIA, she had decided to let her children stay with their parents in Tokyo for the week instead of dragging them down here to Nara. Even though Keitaro and Kane would have enjoyed their cousins’ company, Maiko believed that with Riku laid up as he was and Shuichi in such a “delicate condition”, this arrangement worked out better. Besides, their mother was always complaining about how little she saw her grandchildren.

“Sanami,” Shuichi called to the woman who had stationed herself outside the master bedroom. Much to his chagrin, but it was to Eiri’s delight,– most of the time anyway--Shuichi had at least one guard with him at all times and that meant at all times. It was quite annoying.

Half a second later, Sanami with her hair pulled into a tight ponytail at the back of her head stepped into the room. “Sir?”

“Can you tell Blade that the detectives here would like to speak with him?”

“Yes, Sir.” She bowed before turning on her heels with a snap. Her long black tresses that were hanging down her back swished.

 

* * *

 

“Yes, that is right.” Blade’s deep, American accented Japanese rumbled in the front entry hall of the Uesugi-Shindou compound. “It was a light colored BMW from the looks of it. I couldn’t tell what the exact color was. It might have been either white or grey or silver.”

Misawa nodded. “Did you happen to notice anything about the driver?” he asked.

Blade shook his head reluctantly. It irked him that he had been unable to gather so little information on the car that had followed Mr. Uesugi through town the other night. “Unfortunately not,” he confessed. He wanted to say that it was a woman behind the wheel, but then he would be lying. He was not one-hundred present certain. In silhouette, Mr. Shindou could be mistaken for a woman mostly because he was normally so slight.

“Was that because the windows were tinted?” Shigeno suggested. “Or…?”

“It was just too dark.” He had been unable to tell whether the windows were tinted or not, but if they were dealing with that same woman who had nearly killed Mr. Uesugi and Mr. Shindou’s children last month then he would not put it passed her. From what he knew, her Honda had had tinted windows.

“What about a license plate?”

“Only a partial. The car kept a discreet distance away. I did notice the plates seemed to be covered in what looked like mud, or something.”

The police detectives’ heart thumped in excitement at the startling realization.

After Blade gave them what he had been able to make out of the license plate and promised to come down to the station to give a formal statement when he could, Shigeno thanked the man for his time.

He and his partner then showed themselves out. As they strolled across the circular drive towards their police issued cobalt blue Mitsubishi, both detectives could not stop their minds from working overtime.

What exactly did this mean? Was it possible that Shindou Maiko-san’s ex-husband was working with Rinjin? Was he her new accomplice? If he was, was he a willing pawn or an unwilling one? It could just be a coincidence that the car Uesugi-san claimed to have seen was the same car his ex-brother-in-law was reputed to drive. The BMW Series 3 was the third most popular car in Japan right now, right after the Honda Legend and Toyota Nadia. But still, they could not write anything off, not yet.

 

* * *

 

**En Route**

Risking a glance, Eiri peered into his rearview mirror at his adopted son sound asleep in the backseat next to his baby brother who was alternatively cooing and laughing at the passing scenery.

Eiri wove in and out of traffic as they headed back home to Nara from Riku’s doctor appointment in Osaka. Riku’s soft snores filled the quiet confines of the Mercedes. Besides Eiri sat Kaoru. The female bodyguard’s charcoal eyes were hidden behind a pair of dark, reflective sunglasses and never seemed to stop moving. Her jet-black hair was styled fashionably in a short pixie and had a bluish hue to it as the late afternoon sun glinted off it.

They had received a combination of good news/bad news at Riku’s appointment today. The good news was that Riku’s vertebral compression fracture was healing nicely. In fact, he was progressing along faster than the doctor’s had hoped, but unfortunately, as fast as he was healing, Doctor Amada told them that there was a good chance that Riku might not be ready come this summer to return to NYU to make up for the semester he was being forced to miss like he had hoped. There was a good possibility that he would have to put off returning to school until the fall or even next year. That in turn would push back Riku’s plans of going to graduate school to get his Masters. Riku had been crushed, to say the least, not that Eiri could blame him. Eiri had promised the boy that he would talk to Tohma about the possibility of finding a doctor in New York so that he could return to finish his last semester.

Eiri sighed heavily. Shuichi was not going to like the idea of letting his paralyzed son wander off back to New York even if Yoshiki was going to be there, but as Shuichi tried to get him to understand repeatedly, Riku was not a little kid anymore and it was time to let Riku grow up.

 

* * *

 

**Shindou-Uesugi Residence - Nara, Japan**

His fingers drummed a beat against the steering wheel as he waited for the wrought iron gate to swing open. Recognizing it instantly as one of the songs that Shuichi was considering for his upcoming solo album, Eiri put an immediate halt to his wandering fingers--the brat still had not spoken to Nakano or that Tohma clone. He cleared his throat and pretended that none of that happened.

As he waited, his golden gaze hidden behind a new pair of shades--his old ones had been crushed by Kira who was at that stage where babies grabbed anything and everything in their reach--scanned the front yard. He was startled by what he saw sitting in the drive in front of the mansion.

“What the…?”

 

* * *

 

The front door opened and a pregnant Shuichi rolled out onto the front stoop as Eiri’s black Mercedes-Benz rolled to a halt in front of the house. Sanami and Blade were half a step behind him.

“And just what the hell is that?” Eiri asked, trying for nonchalance, jerking his chin at the engine red sports car as he retrieved Kira--who was still gurgling away and thus covered in drool--from the backseat of the car.

While they had spoken briefly about getting a new car for Riku, they had not actually spoken in detail about it, so when he’d asked Tohma to go ahead and purchase one for Riku, Shuichi knew Eiri would most likely be mad at him. Eiri did not like when Shuichi did things without speaking with him about it first, but Shuichi had no regrets. Riku was his son and if he wanted to buy his son a new car with his own money, then that was none of Eiri’s business.

Settling his son on his hip, grimacing as drool covered hands reached out for him, Eiri cocked an eyebrow at his husband, waiting for an explanation.

Playing with the folds of his white kimono, one of the only articles of clothing that he could fit into comfortably, Shuichi shrugged and said without much hesitation, “Riku’s new car.”

Eiri sighed heavily. “What am I going to do with you Shindou Shuichi?”

Shuichi grinned, his violet eyes glinted mischievously as several answers popped into his head.

As if reading his mind, Eiri chucked. He strode forward and pressed his lips against Shuichi’s forehead before depositing his son, who had become antsy at the sight of his mother, into his lap.

“Whose it that?” asked a voice from behind them.

As small, light weight and weak as Kaoru appeared, the barely five foot Japanese woman had somehow managed to lift Riku, who was nearing six feet and weighed a considerable amount, out of the back seat of the car and place him in his wheelchair, which was a perfect imitation of Shuichi’s.

The twenty-something year old brunette was even now wheeling himself towards the red sports car.

Eiri wheeled Shuichi down the ramp and towards their oldest son who was checking out the mysterious car like most boys would check out a fine woman.

“Holy shit,” Riku exclaimed once he realized what it was he was looking at. His hazel eyes went wide. “This is-!”

“A 2008 Tesla Roadster,” Shuichi supplied as Kira played with his otakasan’s silky kimono.

Riku whistled.

Eiri shook his head. He could not believe that Shuichi had spent what would be the equivalent of one-hundred-thousand US dollars on a car. Shuichi had not even spent that much on the ’69 Ferrari he purchased for Eiri for Christmas.

“Supposedly based on the modified Lotus Elise chassis, the Tesla Roadster is a battery powered electric sports car that reaches speeds of 130 miles per hour. Zero to sixty in four seconds. It can travel two-hundred-and-fifty miles between charges. It has a large spacious black two-seater interior. The 220-volt, 70-amp charger charges the car’s battery in only three and a half hours. Comes with a cord and 1200-volt wall plug so the car battery could be charged when you were away from home, but unfortunately, the charging time increased to 33 hours. Manual operated. AC. Anti-lock brakes. Airbags. 100,000 miles.” (1)

Shuichi giggled lightly at the enthusiasm his son was displaying. Eiri was the same way.

“Whose is it? Is it Uncle Tohma’s new car?” Riku asked. He lifted his head to glance at his parents quickly before returning his gaze back to the car. His dark hazel eyes sparkled.

“No.”

Eiri snorted. If Tohma ever bought a car like this, Eiri would suspect that his brother-in-law was suffering from a mid-life crisis. His sister, on the other hand, was a different story.

“Then-?”

“It’s yours,” Shuichi said.

Riku nodded. “Cool.”

Shuichi waited for it.

Riku continued to nod. Then what his “mama” said suddenly dawned on him. He spun around. A mixture of astonishment, confusion and joy was written all over his face.

His parents laughed at the expression on his face.

“What?!” Riku turned back to the car. He gaped. “This…? Mine…?”

His violet eyes sparkling, Shuichi nodded.

“But...! How…? I mean…”

Giggling at how Riku just could not seem to put one thought together, Shuichi wheeled himself over to his son after handing, a reluctant, Kira back his daddy. “Do you like it?”

“Oh my God! I love it, Mama!” Riku flung himself at Shuichi. “Thank you! Oh my God.”

“Really?” A sigh of relief swept through Shuichi. He had been so afraid that he had made a mistake when he had Tohma buy this car for Riku. Shuichi overheard Riku and Eiri talking about the Tesla Roadster one day a while back. It had reminded Shuichi of how Eiri had reacted after seeing that antique car show commercial.

“This is so cool!”

Eiri made to follow his husband, but movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned towards their neighbor’s vacant house and frowned. The curtain on the upper floor was swaying ever so lightly. It could just be chalked up to the gentle breeze that was blowing, but something was telling Eiri that nobody in their right minds would be foolish enough to leave windows open at this time of year, especially if they were trying to sell their house. Nobody was going to buy a house with water damage.

While most people would have just chalked seeing movement in a house that was supposedly empty to their imaginations or something, Eiri knew better. Especially with Shuichi and his history. You could never be too careful.

“Blade,” he called over his shoulder.

“Sir?”

“Contact Detective Misawa.”

“Yes, Sir.”

 

* * *

 

**Old Murakmi Residence - Nara, Japan**

Accompanied by Lieutenant Katsuragi and several uniformed officers including Shinohara Aiko from the Nara City Police department, Detectives Misawa and Shigeno slowly approached the house.

“Uesugi-san claims this house is supposed to be vacant,” Misawa told the others.

The lieutenant nodded in agreement. “Yeah. We contacted the owners. They said the only person who should have access to the house is their realtor. They themselves cleared out sometime before Christmas. They now live in Osaka.”

“What about the realtor?” Shigeno asked.

“She’s been on maternity leave for the last couple of months.”

“Could it have been whoever took over for her?” Misawa asked.

Lieutenant Katsuragi shook his head in denial. “He claims he was here once or twice to air the place out and whatnot, but there has been no interest in the property. They did show the house to several interested parties when the house first went up, but there has been no movement since.”

“Hm.” Misawa turned thoughtful. “I think we should take a look at those people who did look at the house.”

“You think it’s her?” Shigeno asked his partner referring to Rinjin Karin.

Misawa nodded. “It’s a possibility.”

“You think we should speak to the former owners?” Katsuragi spoke up. “See what made them decide to pack up and move?”

“That’s not a bad idea.”

Shigeno saw where this was going. Rinjin was after Shindou. She proved last month that she would do whatever it took to get to her intended target, even if that meant forcing Shindou’s neighbors into leaving the area. From this vantage point, who knows what destruction Rinjin could cause.

They decided to split up. Katsuragi went around back with the uniformed officers, while Misawa, Shigeno and the rest went to the front door. Having been given the key by the realtor, one of the uniformed officers stepped forward to unlock the door.

“Looks like the lock’s been picked,” he commented as he spied the scratches. Having once been part of a gang when he was a teenager, he could spy a forced entry in his sleep.

“That would certainly explain how someone could come into a house that is supposed to be empty,” Shigeno said.

The tumblers shifted. The wet behind the ears rookie pushed open the door and stepped back.

Misawa and Shigeno burst inside with their guns at the ready. The uniformed officers followed in their wake.

Katsuragi and the others entered from the kitchen.

Methodically and being as silent as ghosts, the house was swept. One by one, each of the rooms were cleared. There was absolutely no sign that anybody had been here in quite some time. There was a thick layer of dust covering everything.

“Detectives,” one of the officers called from the back of the house. “There’s something you should see, Sirs.”

Glancing at one another speculatively, Misawa, Shigeno and Katsuragi stepped into the bedroom and gasped.

“What the fuck?”

 

* * *

 

**Shindou-Uesugi Residence**

Slapping a hand over his mouth, Shuichi gave a strangled cry as his violet eyes swam behind a blur of tears. The plastic evidence bag that he was holding in his free hand shook. “Why?” he breathed around his sobs. He was not sure to whom he was speaking. There was a great ache in his chest that he could not explain. Why was this happening to them? Why?

Eiri kept his face carefully blank as he stood behind his husband rubbing his back soothingly. The only evidence that he was disturbed was the hardening of his hazel eyes golden like the sun and the grim set of his jaw. He was not sure what he had expected when he told the police that he suspected someone of being in a supposedly vacant house, but this was not it.

Detectives Misawa and Shigeno claimed that there was evidence of tampering with the front door lock, but other than that, it had looked as if nobody had been inside the house for several months if all the dust and cobwebs were any indication. That was until they reached the last bedroom at the back of the house that overlooked the Uesugi-Shindou house. There hanging in the center of the room from a hook tied to a thin piece of string secured to the ceiling was an eight by eleven inch glossy photograph of Eiri. It showed the author getting into the cobalt blue 1969 Ferrari GTS that had been a Christmas present from Shuichi outside the twenty-four hour convenience store where he had bought his pregnant baka his ice cream.

Damn, Eiri thought. He had been right after all. There had been someone following him. He had been hoping against hope that he had been mistaken somehow.

Like many of the other photographs they had received since last August, he could not remember seeing anyone out of the ordinary that night and he had been on the look out. In fact, there had not been anyone else out on the road at that god-awful hour. They had been safe and sound in their nice, warm beds. Not that he could blame them. It had been the same exact place he wished he had been, but instead he had been running all over town trying to find ice cream for Shuichi.

So, how could someone take his picture and him not even know it? Telephoto lens maybe? That had to be it.

And like the last two they received, this latest photograph had a warning smeared across the picture in thick red paint that was meant, once again, to look like blood, or at least Eiri hoped that it was paint. This time, there were no words. No, this time there was a symbol that they all recognized. There painted over the captured image of Eiri were three red rings, one inside the other.

“Eiri,” sobbed Shuichi from his position in the recliner.

Hating to see his baka so upset, Eiri rounded the chair and knelt before him. He carefully wiggled the photograph from Shuichi’s trembling grip and handed it back to the police detectives who were standing back and looking uncomfortable. Eiri ignored them. He was glad that Maiko had taken the children to get some ice cream. The last thing the children needed was to see their mother fall apart like this.

Maiko had not returned after she went to the Nara Police Station to speak with the police earlier. Instead, she called the house to let Shuichi know that she had decided to stay in town to “do a little sightseeing”. Shuichi had not pressed the issue. He may look and act like an imbecile a great percentage of the time, but Shuichi had known his baby sister needed some time to deal.

Shuichi wondered if Maiko still felt guilty. He’d told her when she arrived from Hokkaido the other day that she had nothing to feel guilty about--she’d done nothing wrong, but just telling her something like that and her actually stopping herself from feeling that guilt were two completely different things, this and that. He would have to have a talk with her later.

When she arrived at the house to find the police had swarmed the neighborhood en masse, Riku had been the one to suggest to his aunt that they take the boys out for some ice cream. That had an immediate reaction. Of course, several of the bodyguards that Tohma had assigned to the family went with them.

Eiri caged Shuichi’s face between his hands and stared into those incredible violet eyes swimming in tears. “Baby,” he whispered, “I’m right here. I am not going anywhere.” He searched Shuichi’s shattered face. “Understand me?”

With a shuddered sob, Shuichi nodded.

Leaning forward, he pressed his lips against Shuichi’s forehead. Pulling back, he reached for Shuichi’s left hand.

Shinning on his left ring finger was the ring that Eiri had slipped onto Shuichi’s slim fingers all those years ago. The wide gold band had nine .03-carat inset gems. Creating a square, the eight on the outside were black sapphires that reflected a mysterious brown star when held in the light just right. The ninth gem, in the center, was a dazzling Princess cut deep rich rose pink Sri Lanka spinal.

It was a family heirloom that had been passed from father to son for generations. When Eiri was given the ring by his father when Eiri finished his studies to become a monk, or so Eiri’s father had hoped, Eiri was sure his father had not thought that Eiri would end up giving it to his male lover. He was just one disappointment after another for his father.

Oh, well.

“When you accepted my ring,” Eiri continued, “you became stuck with me whether you like it or not.”

A grin cut through Shuichi’s tears. He giggled lightly.

Chuckling, Eiri brought Shuichi’s hand up to his lips and kissed his ring. “ _Suki dayo._ I love you, Shindou Shuichi. Never forget that.”

With a sniffle, Shuichi shook his head as he rubbed at his tear soaked face. He smiled back at his husband. “I love you, too, Uesugi Eiri.”

Eiri cupped Shuichi’s cheek. Their lips met. It was just a gentle play of lips, a caress of the tongue. He pulled back and chuckled at the deep blush that had exploded across Shuichi’s face.

Clearing his throat, Detective Misawa stepped forward.

Eiri scowled as he reluctantly pulled away from Shuichi.

If at all possible, Shuichi’s face burned hotter as his embarrassment increased after remembering that they had an audience.

“We are not sure how long Rinjin has been occupying your neighbor’s house,” Misawa said.

“It could be,” his partner Detective Shigeno continued, “that she just picked the lock and broke in there earlier today in order to leave the photograph.”

Eiri had a hard time believing that and he knew the police did as well, but it was still a possibility until they knew otherwise.

“There is no way of telling,” Misawa was saying.

“But it is obvious that she has been in the area for some time.”

“Probably after causing that accident in Osaka.”

Shigeno nodded in agreement.

Shuichi’s chest felt tight. “W-what are you saying?” he asked quietly.

The two detectives exchanged a quick glance.

“The Nara city police are talking about pulling out,” Shigeno admitted.

Shuichi paled.

Eiri jumped to his feet. “What?!”

Misawa held out his hands to ease the sudden tension. He has heard some rumors about Uesugi Eiri-san and they were not very alluring. “They feel that they have been compromised.”

Eiri was livid. “And that justifies abandoning us while there is some crazed psycho bitch out there?” he spit.

Detective Shigeno stepped forward. “Uesugi-san, the police have no intention of deserting you now.”

That stopped Eiri.

Confused, Shuichi glanced at the three men in turn.

 

* * *

 

**Later That Night**

Newly manicured nails clawed at the tree bark. Narrowed brown hazel eyes gone black with insuppressible rage peered through a veil of brown hair so dark it was often mistaken for black and around the tree. They followed the last unmarked patrol car as it preformed a three-point turn and sped off down the street. A low chuckle floated upon the wind.

Soon this hypocrisy of injustice would soon come to and end.

  
**…To Be Continued…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) Real car. Like the Ferrari, I just copied the info I found online for this car from a automotive website.


	13. Lights, Camera…Blinded By Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inserted: "God You're Safe" by Bad Luck

**Chapter 13: Lights, Camera…Blinded By Love**

**That Night - Shindou-Uesugi Residence - Nara, Japan**

_Shuichi was not sure what stirred him awake that night. Silence enfolded around him. Darkness surrounded him. Over the baby monitor that sat on the nightstand, he could hear Baby Kira snoring softly. It made him smile. From besides him, he could hear Eiri’s light breathing. The little ones within him were silent, sound asleep in their cocoons for another month yet._

_A creak, like a gunshot in the unnatural silence, was heard._

_With a gasp, Shuichi’s head shot in the general direction the sound came from. His breathing had sped up. His pulse had quickened. He could taste it on his tongue. His mouth had gone dry._

_Suddenly scared, Shuichi reached out a hand blindly towards his husband as he searched the shadow-hidden room. His eyes went wide as his hand felt nothing but air besides him. Everything went still. He could hear nothing over the thunderous beating of his heart. His chest rose and fell sporadically as his breath came out in wheezing pants._

_Shuichi went to push himself up off the bed, when suddenly he found he could not move. “No,” he cried softly as he started to panic. “No!” Please, God, this was not happening! Please, no! No! His arms were secured above his head to the headboard. He could feel something wrapped tightly around his wrists. The soft fabric bit into his skin. Wait. Headboard? They did not have a headboard. What was going on? Like his wrists, something was bound tightly around his ankles. The silky fabric held his legs splayed open. “Eiri,” he whispered. He sobbed. “Eiri!” Tears stung his eyes and blurred his vision. Shuichi jerked against his bonds in desperation, but they merely tightened in reaction._

_“I'm sorry, Shu-han,” whispered a voice in his ear. “But your ‘lover' is not here. It's just you and me.”_

_Shuichi’s stomach rolled and rebelled as a wash of terror encompassed him. Violet eyes went wide and a once olive complexion went white. Fear froze Shuichi to the bed. He forgot how to breathe. His heart stopped beating. His mind went blank._

_“Shu-han,” chuckled the voice. “I won't hurt you, you know that! I'm here to help you! I want to save you!”_

_Shuichi broke out into a cold sweat. No! This was a dream. This had to be a dream. Please! God! Let this be a dream!_

_“Believe what you want, Shu-han. For you are mine.”_

_Out of the shadows at the foot of the bed stepped a man who had such a pale complexion, it was nearly ghostly white. Those narrow chocolate brown eyes stared down at him with an all too familiar gleam that made Shuichi feel instantly soiled. A fairly large bulbous nose and full lips that were titled up into a devilish imitation of those Machiavellian eyes took up most of the guy’s face._

_Please, God. Please. This could not be happening!_

_Shuichi’s breath hitched. “Ya-Ya-sa-shii.”_

_Rinjin Yasashii beamed down at him. He took another step towards him._

_“Bu-But…you…”_

_“Brother,” snapped an impatient voice._

_Shuichi’s head snapped around._

_Out of the shadows on the far side of the room stepped a smallish woman with badly dyed stringy blond hair, unnaturally prominent cheekbones and lips so full they just had to be fake._

_“We do not have time to play,” the woman snapped._

_Yasashii pouted cutely at his baby sister. “Oh! You are no fun, Karin.”_

_“Brother!”_

_Yasashii sighed. “Okay. Okay.”_

_Shuichi watched the interaction, growing more terrified by the second._

_If this was a dream then why was he not waking up?_

_Yasashii turned his attention back to Shuichi and grinned._

_Shuichi shrank away. For just a second he thought he had seen Aizawa’s face superimposed over Yasashii’s and that terrified him even more than the dead man standing before him._

_“Now, my angel,” Yasashii purred as his wraith-like hands started on his belt. “Where were we?”_

His mouth was open in a soundless scream. Unseeing violet eyes clouded over with terror snapped open. His body jerked violently in reaction. Shuichi flew up. His heart beating erratically, he scrambled backwards as if Death was after him out of the covers and over the mound of pillows until he felt the cold solidness of the wall at his back. Panting heavily, Shuichi stared into the quiet darkness that surrounded him with wildly frantic eyes.

Shuichi took a deep breath and closed his eyes. A sense of calm washed over him as little by little, his fog-muddled mind began to clear. His breathing began to even out. His pulse slowed.

A dream, he reminded himself. It was just a dream. Just a dream. A dream. Dream.

But then he suddenly did not feel right. The beginnings of nausea washed over him. He felt lightheaded. Yet at the same time, his head felt heavy. Bile filled his mouth like a leaky faucet. He was hot and on the verge of passing out.

Oh, God, he thought.

Slapping a hand over his mouth, he pushed himself out of bed with some difficulty and waddled as fast as his pregnant self could carry him around the bed and across the room to the bathroom. He tossed open the door to the dressing room and raced to the toilet. Flinging the lid and the toilet seat up, Shuichi collapsed to his knees and leaned over the bowl just in time.

 

* * *

 

Eiri woke to the sound of retching. He blinked up at the ceiling and waited for his sleep-muddled mind to catch up. Draping an arm across his brows, he closed his eyes and sighed. Dropping his arm, he tossed aside the covers and swinging his legs over the side of the bed, slid his feet into his slippers.

Yawning, he combed his fingers through his sleep-tousled hair. Eiri reached for the clock sitting on the bedside nightstand and gazed sleepily at it. The red numbers blurred before him. It was a little after midnight.

Standing up, he shuffled across the bedroom towards the dressing room. He peered around the door and saw Shuichi spitting into the toilet bowl as he reached out with a trembling hand to flush the toilet. Closing the toilet lid, Shuichi slumped against the pristine white throne. His lids fluttered closed.

Eiri crossed the dressing room towards his pregnant baka.

Crouching down besides Shuichi, Eiri rubbed slow, comforting circles on his back. He did not bother asking for he knew.

Shuichi sniffled. “I’m sorry,” he whispered against his arms. His voice was thick from crying. “Did I wake you?” He lifted his head up and met worried golden hazel eyes.

With a soft smile, Eiri pressed his lips against Shuichi’s sweat drenched head in a brief, chaste kiss. “It’s fine.”

A stray tear slipped undisturbed down Shuichi’s face. “Can you give me a couple minutes?”

Nodding, Eiri stood and pressed his lips against the top of Shuichi’s damp raven head in another chaste kiss before turning to leave his husband to pull himself together.

He glanced over his shoulder around the dressing room door and watched Shuichi silently for a moment before stepping back into the bedroom, shutting the door firmly behind him.

A sudden surge of anger boiled through him. Balling his hand, Eiri slammed his fist into the wall with a sound curse. That bitch had better pray that the police get to her first, otherwise, he swore by all that was holy that the police would be arresting him for murder. Nobody messed with his family and got away with it! First, she teams up with that bastard Scott Keene who had tried to kill Shuichi backstage at Madison Square Garden about eight years ago after the guy’s daughter committed suicide. Who knows what could have come out of that partnership had the New York State police not caught him when they did. Then, she stalks Shuichi and takes candid pictures of their family, which reminded him way too much of Isaac.

Then of course, Karin tries to run their boys off the road. The resulting accident nearly killed not only Riku, Keitaro and Kane, but Shuichi as well. Eiri and their children were Shuichi’s life. If anything were to happen to them, he really would die. Eiri believed that. Shuichi never did anything half-cocked. What he did, he did with all of his heart. Unfortunately, it was only the accident involving his own boys that made Eiri realized just what they were dealing with. Karin was out for blood and if she had to go through the people that Shuichi cared about along the way, so be it.

On top of Riku nearly becoming paralyzed when he lost control of his car and slid it into a pillar and Kane and Keitaro being traumatized, possibly for life, that bitch was also responsible for murdering a police officer and his paparazzo cousin. Not to mention, she was guilty of destroying Maiko’s marriage. Eiri had no doubts that having an affair with Maiko’s husband had just been another step in her bid for revenge against Shuichi.

And now she was targeting him.

Shuichi had not said much since the detectives broke the news that they were pulling out of the area. Eiri could not blame the man.

Pushing away from the door, Eiri crossed the hardwood floor and sat down on the edge of the bed where he hung his head in his hands.

Who knows how long Karin had been staking out their house from next door; she could have done any number of things from her vantage point and nobody would have been the wiser, but she hadn‘t. Why? She’d made sure that someone saw her. Knowing that the house was vacant would prompt the involvement of the police. No, Rinjin Karin hadn’t been planning to do anything more then send them another warning and her message had come across loud and clear.

Now the police were pulling the plug on their stakeout. They’d watched as the last police vehicle drove out of sight several hours ago.

Eiri lifted his head when he heard the sound of running water.

Several long moments later, silence permeating the bedroom suite.

When the door clicked open, Eiri sat up. He watched as Shuichi stepped out of the dressing room and pulled the door shut behind him. He noticed that Shuichi had forgotten to turn the light off. When Shuichi left the door open a crack, he realized that Shuichi had not forgotten to do anything.

Eiri crooked a finger at his naked, pregnant husband.

Despite the devastated expression on his face, Shuichi blushed hotly as he waddled slowly towards the bed with his arms wrapped securely around his swollen belly.

With a sly smile on his face, Eiri slipped his feet out of his fuzzy pink bunny slippers (do not ask where they came from) and scooted back to make room for Shuichi who crawled into the bed besides him. As Shuichi settled down in bed with his back to him, Eiri brought up the covers around them.

Eiri slid in behind Shuichi. Their bodies were perfectly aligned. He wrapped his arm securely around the waist of his pregnant baka. It always amazed him just how much of a perfect fit Shuichi was in his arms, even with him having gained so much weight due to his pregnancy.

He pressed his lips into the crook of Shuichi’s neck, the spot where the neck and shoulder meet. He knew what it was that Shuichi needed to hear. “I love you. I am not going anywhere,” he whispered in Shuichi’s ear.

A small smile graced the distraught singer’s face.

Eiri pulled Shuichi tightly against him. Laying his head against Shuichi’s, Eiri rubbed Shuichi’s belly as a soft, gentle smile crossed his face.

 

* * *

 

In the shadows, a figure cloaked in darkness stepped out from behind the tree and watched the dark house with a gleam in her dark eyes.

Soon.

The police may have given up, but she would be damned if she had the gull to even think about doing something so cowardly. “Have fun with your family while you can,” she growled, “because this time next week, your world will have come to an end.”

 

* * *

 

A slim figure with a crop of shockingly white blond hair patrolled the Uesugi-Shindou estate grounds with Marcus, who was around back. The beam from her flashlight scanned the darkness. A noise from out of the darkness spun Maki around. Suddenly on the defensive, her body readying itself for an attack, she scanned the yard with her sharp hawk-like eyes. One hand was sitting on the butt of her gun, which she and the other bodyguards had been given special permission to use thanks to Seguchi Tohma, while the other hand swung about. Out of the shadows surrounding the ten-foot high stone fence that enclosed the grounds, scurried a small black cat. Relaxing, Maki continued her patrol.

 

* * *

 

**A Week Later**

The petite, wimpy looking Satoshi opened the front door as Maiko wheeled her brother through the foyer and out onto the front stoop just as Eiri’s black Mercedes-Benz pulled out of the garage.

“Are you sure?” Shuichi asked his baby sister as they watched Eiri pull the car around. It has been so great having her here. He was sad to see her go. Pouting, his violet eyes gazed up at her, shimmering with unshed tears.

In the decade that Bad Luck was at the top of the charts, aside from the occasional email from his sister or phone call from his mother, Shuichi pretty much lost all contact with his family. It had not been by choice. It was just something that happened. He had barely had time to spend with Eiri, who had been nearly as busy as he had been, so how was he supposed to make time for his baby sister or his parents who lived on the other side of Tokyo from where Eiri and he had lived in Chiyoda-ku at the time?

Since Bad Luck disbanded, all that changed. Shuichi finally had the time to spend with his friends and family. What Shuichi had not counted on was that by that time, they all lived hundreds of miles away from one another. He had just exchanged one problem for another it seems.

If everything went according to plan and Shuichi did indeed put out his solo album, it was possible that all this free time he currently had would vanish, just as it had when NG Productions first signed Bad Luck. Having his sister all the way in Hokkaido and his parents in Tokyo would make it that much more impossible for him to see them.

Was it so bad to want to have his family close?

Meanwhile, having parked his Mercedes-Benz in front of the house, Eiri pressed the button on the underside of the console. He looked in his rear view mirror as the trunk popped open. It bobbed up and down several times before settling. Opening the car door, he stepped out. He gazed over to where his husband and his sister-in-law were speaking on the front porch. A tired scowl crossed Eiri’s face. “Shuichi,” he warned with a sigh. How many times has Shuichi gotten him with that look? Damn baka.

“What?” Shuichi whined.

Eiri just gave him a look as he walked over to them.

Shuichi gulped.

Maiko gave her brother-in-law a reassuring smile before turning back to her brother. “I hate to leave, but I really should be getting back.” Her stomach twisted at the thought of flying back to her small apartment in Hokkaido. It was similar to the feeling one had on the first day of school after a long summer break, only ten times worse.

“I wish you didn’t have to.”

“Me, too, but…” Maiko heaved a tired sigh. “I’ve got to get back to work. I’ve used up all my vacation days and Chiaki should really get back to school.”

“You know…”

Eiri narrowed his eyes down at his husband.

“You could always move down here,” Shuichi suggested hopefully.

Maiko blinked at the suggestion.

“I mean, the boys really love you-”

Eiri had to force himself not to snort. The boys loved anyone who gave them gifts. One of their favorites was that idiot Sakuma. What Eiri’s, as equally idiotic, brother saw in a man who was twice his age and who (still) carried around a fluffy pink bunny aptly named “Mr. Bear”, he would never know. But then people could ask him the same thing. He slid a glance at his idiot and coughed to hide a smirk.

“-and they get along with Chiaki and Subaru.”

That was an understatement, Eiri thought. Keitaro and Kane were both in love with their older cousin Chiaki. They were always fighting over the poor girl.

“I know Mom and Dad would really love it if you guys moved back to the area. They are always complaining about not being able to see Chiaki and Subaru enough and they are always worried about you…”

With a snort, Eiri fought not to roll his eyes at the understatement.

Maiko gave her brother a sad smile. “I wish I could,” she admitted.

“If it’s the money…,” Eiri spoke up.

Shuichi nodded vigorously. “You know you can always ask us!”

Maiko bowed kindly at her brother’s husband. “Thank you, Eiri-san.” She smiled down at her brother. “Big Brother.”

Because of Eiri’s success as an author and her brother’s success with Bad Luck, even seven years after the international pop sensation broke up, neither had to worry about money, not even if Yuki Eiri never had another bestseller or if the royalty checks Shuichi received on a daily basis stopped coming in. Over the years, Shuichi and Eiri have been so generous to not only her but to the rest of the family. Maiko could never repay their kindness.

She felt bad always having to rely on her famous, rich older brother, but the idea of moving back to Tokyo to be near her parents or even here to Kyoto was just too tempting an offer.

Shuichi reached out and grabbed his sister’s hand. He laced their fingers together. “Think about it?”

Giving her brother’s hand a squeeze, Maiko nodded and promised. Feeling the beginning of tears, Maiko let go of her brother’s hand. Clearing her throat, she clapped her hands together. “So! Where are those nephews of mine?” she asked.

Maiko knew Baby Kira and Riku were both in the house sleeping. She had said her goodbyes to the both of them earlier.

As she glanced around, she could see five of the bodyguards that Seguchi Tohma hired to protect her brother and his family. All of them for some reason were working today. When she had asked Shuichi about that, he had not been able to tell her anything about that. Usually, three of them would be working at a time. That all of them were here at one time was unusual.

Satoshi was standing behind her brother’s wheelchair while Marcus, Blade, Kaoru and Sanami were wondering the yard. All were dressed in black suits that looked more expansive then Maiko’s car. Dark ray ban sunglasses and guns, which she knew were kept hidden under their suit jackets, completed the outfits. They reminded her of the Secret Service. She could not see Maki though.

“Oh, they went down the street to the Suwas’.”

“Ah!” That would explain where Maki was. One of the guards went with the boys everywhere, even to school.

Eiri glanced at his watch. If Maiko was going to catch her train to Tokyo, they would have to leave now. “Where are your bags? We should get going.”

There was a flash of something across Maiko’s face before she was able to school her expression. “By the staircase,” she managed to say despite the tightening in her throat.

Eiri bounded up the steps and vanished into the house.

Shuichi gripped the joystick located on the arm of his wheelchair and wheeled himself down the ramp and across the drive to Eiri’s car.

Maiko followed close behind him.

This was the same Mercedes Eiri had when Shuichi first met him when Shuichi was eighteen and a senior in high school. The car was still in immaculate shape. There was a time in their relationship where Shuichi had been almost positive that Eiri cared more for his precious Mercedes than for him. Shuichi would have laughed at that absurd thought if it were not for the fact that part of him still felt that way.

Eiri’s Saab, the other car he had when they first met, sat under a tarp in the garage. Like the Mercedes, it too was in perfect condition except for a tiny, microscopic ding on the front bumper, but since Eiri hardly ever drove it, what Eiri did not know would not hurt him.

 

* * *

 

The crosshairs in the scope where aligned perfectly over her target. A sly smile crossed her face. Finally. It was here! The image on the scope blurred behind sudden tears that stung her eyes. It was so hard to believe that the day had finally arrived. Everything had led her to this point. Lowering her rifle, she tossed her head back and blinked her tears aside. This was no time for this. She would have time afterwards. But not now. Not here.

Nobody was above the law. Not even the seemingly perfect Shindou Shuichi. Once everybody knew the truth about what she was doing, discovered what a hero she was in ridding the world of a cold-blooded murderer, they would rejoice. They would praise her! She would become a god and be worshipped! She knew it. She could see it now! But more importantly, her dear brother would finally be able to rest in peace, his murder having been avenged.

The sun glinted off the scope as she brought her target back into view.

 

* * *

 

Moving the last of Maiko’s bags onto the front stoop, Eiri vanished back inside the house after shooting Shuichi a quick glance.

He crossed the foyer to the family room off the kitchen, otherwise known as the Great Room. Leaning over the recliner, he peered at his son and chuckled. The Asian Studies student’s mouth was slightly ajar and a thin trail of drool was making its way down the young man’s chin. He sleeps like Shuichi, Eiri thought amusedly.

Eiri hated to wake him, but Riku would be upset to learn that his aunt left without saying goodbye.

He was rounding the chair when he heard it. A popping sound. It sounded vaguely like the firecrackers that the neighborhood children were always setting off. But there was something different this time. The sound never froze Eiri in fear, never stilled his heart or chilled him to the bone. He had never forgotten how to breathe. His already pale complexion never went white. And he had never heard a scream like the one he was hearing right now. It was a sound he never thought he would hear in his entire life and he hoped to God he never did again.

Startled awake, Riku’s dark hazel eyes snapped open with a gasp.

From the nursery upstairs, Baby Kira’s violet eyes snapped open. His olive completed face scrunched in misery. The seven month old’s loud wails filled the house.

The sound of stampeding feet sounded behind him.

Dread filled Eiri.

“Uesugi-san,” yelled Satoshi. “It’s Shindou-san! He’s been shot!”

Eiri suddenly felt faint.

 

* * *

 

**Moments Earlier**

“So, Big Brother,” Maiko said as she followed Shuichi down to the drive.

Tearing his eyes away from his husband’s car, Shuichi glanced over his shoulder at his baby sister. “Hm?”

“Are you ready?” she asked with a grin and a mischievous glint in her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the black Mercedes.

He did not have to ask. Shuichi snorted. “Hardly.”

Maiko laughed lightly. As much as she loved her brother, she would not want to switch places with him if their lives were at stack. Two six year olds, a seven month old and in a matter of a few short weeks, three newborns. Add a bed bound son, an autobiography and a solo album and her big brother was working himself into an early grave. Why he constantly did this to himself, she would never know.

She looked up as Eiri set the last of her bags down on the front stoop. Their eyes met briefly, before he turned and went back into the house.

“Did you talk anymore about hiring a nanny?”

Shuichi just gave his sister a look that said it all. Eiri would hear nothing about allowing some stranger into their house and raising their children as if they were incompetent. It would not matter if the person they were to hire came highly recommended by God. Eiri had a hard time as it was trusting the bodyguards that Tohma hired for them, especially after what happened with Isaac Smith all those years ago, so there was no way Eiri was going to hear of a live in babysitter.

“Aah,” Maiko nodded.

“…You know.”

Maiko looked at her brother expectantly.

“Mom and Dad are always complaining about how since we live so far apart, she hardly ever gets to see the kids.”

With a roll of her eyes, Maiko nodded. She knew all too well. At least her brother was only a couple hours away by train. With her living all the way to the north in Hokkaido, it was a little more difficult. A thought occurred to her. “Are you thinking about moving back to Tokyo?”

Shuichi shrugged. Actually, it was not something Eiri and he had spoken about, but it was something Shuichi had been thinking about off and on ever since Suguru came to him with the proposal of appearing on Desert Star’s debut album.

In fact, it was that pitch that started Shuichi into thinking about releasing a solo album.

Having been in the business since he was in high school, Shuichi knew all too well what went on behind the scenes and there in lay the problem. It was not going to be as easy as it was when he was younger. It used to be torture when he was away from Eiri for just a week, so, how much more distressing would it be now that he had a family, now that Eiri had become much more than just his lover? Would the boys understand why their mama was away from home so much? Would it be easier if they were to move back to Tokyo if he were to put out a solo album? These were all things Shuichi knew he and Eiri would have to talk about sometime very soon.

Maiko gazed about the yard. Her eyes landed on the house that was just visible over the wall and through the bare branches of the trees that separated it from her brother’s and wondered.

Sighing, Shuichi ran his fingers through his hair before lacing his hands behind his head. He stared over the car and across the yard. He had no idea what the right thing to do was. He knew what he wanted to do, but was it the right thing for his family?

Something among the brush across the street caught his attention.

Seeing her brother tense, Maiko called out to him softly.

“Hm?” Shuichi pried his eyes away from the deep shadows that ran parallel to his house for a moment.

“You okay?”

Shuichi turned back around. There was nothing there now. What was it that he saw? Had he actually seen anything in the first place, or was he jumping at shadows? “I need a vacation,” he decided.

Maiko snorted. “Don’t we all?”

Chuckling lightly, Shuichi grabbed the joystick and rotated his chair around. He gazed at the house. “Where is Eiri?” What, did he go to the bathroom and fall in?

Maiko shot her brother a glance. “Why? Eager to get rid of me?” She grinned.

“Yup,” Shuichi agreed with a deadpanned expression.

“Jerk,” Maiko laughed swatting her big brother playfully.

Snickering, Shuichi turned to grin at her and that was when it happened.

 

* * *

 

She could not believe her eyes. Lowering the rifle, she gazed around the tree and across the street at the scene unfolding before her. She almost could not believe her eyes. Had she actually done it? By God. Was it finally over? A giggle bubbled up inside of her. To those who would hear it, it sounded vaguely hysterical. Though she herself could make no distinction.

The contingent of men in black that the almighty Seguchi Tohma had hired in an effort to protect his family from the psychotic bitch that they thought she was (and she would freely admit that she probably was) were racing around the yard shouting into earpieces she had not noticed until now. Their guns, which they must have gotten special permission to use, were drawn. Their eyes darted everywhere, searching. Searching for her, she realized.

She snickered.

The tall skinny Japanese guy that had been like Shindou’s shadow since that murderer stepped out of the house--well, technically, wheeled out, she could not but help laughing as she corrected herself--had pushed his charge out of the chair and into the ground before pulling Shindou’s sister down with them. None of them were in view. How much would you like to bet that sorry excuse of a bodyguard was covering Shindou with his body, just in case? Always the good little soldier.

She felt a rush of nausea. She knew they were only doing the job they were hired to do, but she did not understand how they could agree to protect a murderer.

Dropping to her knees, she quickly dismantled her rifle and placed the sections into its case with practiced ease. Snapping the lid closed, she got to her feet and slung the strap over her shoulder. Pulling her wraparound shades down from their perch on top of her head, she glanced one last time over her shoulder at the utter chaos that was unfolding behind those wrought iron bars. Slipping on her sunglasses, she turned and vanished within the deep shadows.

 

* * *

 

A woman a little on the short side with chestnut brown hair that just tickled her lower back and dark hazel eyes hidden behind a pair of black wraparound shades that had diamonds embedded around the rims stepped out of the trees. Her French manicured nails painted a light dusty rose carried a nondescript case. Her full lips were bright red. Because of the seasonal rain, the back of her boot cut, low waisted blue jeans and the black heeled boots that she sported were covered in mud. The sun glinted off a gold band on her left ring finger as she fixed the collar of her black leather jacket.

She glanced up and down the street.

With a sly smile twisting her lips, she walked confidently down the deserted barely used road that was full of more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese towards a silver BMW parked long the curb several yards down the street whose engine was running.

The trunk popped open. The lid bounced several times before settling.

She placed the case that carried her instrument of revenge into the hole that was usually reserved for the spare tire then slammed the lid closed. The passenger side door was pushed open. Rounding the car, she slid into the passenger seat.

The doors were locked automatically after she closed the car door.

She put her seatbelt on and then was flung backwards into the seat by the tremendous press of G forces as the BMW shot down the street. Nothing was left in their wake but a cloud of dust.

“Karin,” the male voice broke into the silence.

Karin glanced at her companion out of the corner of her eye.

The once student body president’s face was set grimly. The sun created a mirrored effect with his glasses. A gold band on his left ring finger glittered in the sun for brief sporadic moments as his grip tightened and then unclenched and then tightened again around the steering wheel. In sneakers, tan khakis and a polo shirt underneath a sweater vest, he could be mistaken for someone’s father.

“Are you sure about this?”

Karin shrugged. “It’s too late for regrets now,” she said. “Besides, it had to be done,” she added in a soft whisper as if she were speaking to herself. She continued to ignore the nagging voice in the back of her mind.

“It’s just…” There was a heavy sigh from besides her. “Shuichi…he is my brother-in-law after all and-”

A spark of rage ignited within her, but Karin quickly out it out. “ _Was_ ,” she corrected more calmly than she actually felt, “your brother-in-law.”

“And whose fault is that?” was the disgruntled retort.

Karin rolled her eyes and heaved a disgusted sigh. “Please! It is not as if I held a gun to your head. You willingly got yourself involved in this.”

He said nothing.

Turning away from him, Karin stared blankly out of the window.

Several things happened at that point. Her partner cut a sound string of curses, the car came to such a sudden halt that Karin was thrown forward--her hands slapped against the dashboard to keep from smashing her face into its hardness--and a chorus of voices called out to them.

“Rinjin Karin! Step out of the car with your hands up!”

Groaning, Karin slowly sat back. Her sunglasses had slipped off and were lying at her feet. She pushed her hair out of her face. She knew she would be sore in the morning.

“Driver! Step out of the car with your hands where we can see them! Now!”

“Shit! Now what?”

Karin glanced around them. She cursed over a rapidly beating heart. They were completely surrounded. There had to be dozens of them swarming the car from all sides. She could even hear the unmistakable sounds of a helicopter. How the hell had that happened? Where had they all come from?

Her eyes went wide as the answer struck her.

No, she refused to believe it. It could not be. But the truth was right outside the car’s windows pointed right at her. There was no other explanation. Even though she herself watched as the police pulled out a week ago. She thought they had given up their stakeout. Given up on catching her in the act. A month had passed with nothing happening. But obviously, she had been wrong.

It had been…

“…a trap.”

But…

A slow grin spread across her face. It did not matter. Nothing mattered anymore. She had accomplished what she had set out to do. Sliding off her seatbelt, she reached for the lock. A hand on her arm stopped her.

“What the hell are you doing?” her new husband demanded. His eyes were wide with panic behind his glasses.

Karin shrugged off his hand. Unlocking the door, she pushed open the door and with her hands raised over her head, she slowly stepped from the car. She would freely admit to her crimes. Even if it meant spending the rest of her life in prison. She had been stalking Shindou and his family and long before the first photograph arrived at his doorstep. She had attempted to kill his boys in Osaka last month. She had threatened him and Yuki-san. She had indeed shot Shindou dead. She had finally avenged her brother’s premature death at the hands of that cold-hearted bastard. Shindou Shuichi had finally gotten what he had had coming to him for the last seven years. Yasashii could finally rest in peace and that was all that mattered.

 

* * *

 

“Shu! Shuichi,” Eiri called as he raced out of the house with Satoshi hot on his heels. He collapsed onto his knees besides his fallen husband and cradled him in his arms.

Shuichi hissed at the movement. Jolts of pain shot from the wound in his shoulder.

“Oh, God, Baby.” Burying his face into Shuichi’s soft black locks, Eiri rocked them both gently as quiet sobs wracked his body. He did not hear the wail of sirens growing closer or the rapid speech of the contingent of guards around him or his son’s ear piercing wails from the nursery. The only thing he could hear was the sound of the gunshot echoing over and over again in his head and Maiko’s accompanied blood-curdling scream. Eiri gave a start when he felt a cool hand on his face. Gold met violet.

“You’re crying,” Shuichi whispered. He could count on one hand how many times he had witnessed Eiri crying and still have enough fingers left over to form a fist. It was always shocking and a little unsettling.

“Baka.” Conking their foreheads together, Eiri commanded in a whispered tone, “Don’t you ever do that to me again, you understand?”

Shuichi giggled. “Yes, sir.” He liked it when Eiri worried over him.

“The ambulance is here, sir,” came Satoshi’s voice.

 

* * *

 

In the back of the ambulance sitting opposite his pregnant husband and holding his trembling hands within his, Eiri gave the obviously distressed singer a smile. He tucked a stray strand of hair behind Shuichi’s ear. “Everything’ll be okay,” he tried to assure him.

Shuichi gave a weak smile in return that did not quiet reach his eyes and said nothing. He kept his gaze away from the paramedics who were using liquid stitches on the deep gash on his shoulder.

Eiri turned at the sound of an approaching car. His smile faltered.

“Ow,” he heard Shuichi cry out.

Realizing he had tightened his grip to the point of pain, Eiri released his grip on Shuichi’s hand. Standing up as much as the cab of the ambulance would allow, he kissed his husband chastely on the forehead before climbing out. “You bitch,” he growled as the seasoned police officer escorted a woman from the back of the police car.

Shuichi’s head shot around. His eyes went wide. The color drained from his face. Was that…? Oh, God, he felt sick.

Rinjin Karin looked nothing at all like the photograph that was circulating, but even though her hair was now a rich brown and not blond and despite the obvious facial reconstruction, the resemblance to her older brother was eerie. “You have a lot of nerve showing your face here!”

Karin shook off the lingering shock at seeing Shindou alive and well where he should be dead and grew angry instead. She was not sure at whom she was angry: herself or them. “I should’ve killed you when I had the chance,” she bit angrily, straining against her bonds.

The police’s hold on her tightened in reaction.

She could not count how many times she had had the author and his bitch in her crosshairs. She could have off-ed them at any time, but had decided against it. Dammit!

“Yeah, you should have,” Eiri retorted as he took a threatening stop towards the woman.

“Well, I’ll just remedy that mistake now!”

Hearing Shuichi’s panicked cry, all eyes turned to watch as an enraged Eiri launched himself across the front yard towards Karin. Both the assembled law enforcement officials and the bodyguards sprang into motion.

In the commotion, the police officer’s hold on her slackened. All attention was on the author. Karin found her chance and slipped out of the loose grip easily and charged Eiri. She was not sure what she could do with her arms handcuffed behind her back, but was sure something would come to her once she had her hands on that damn Yuki Eiri. But before she could take more than a couple steps, an arm snaked around her from behind and pulled her backwards away from her intended target. She struggled wildly against the vise-like hold, cursing and spitting.

Marcus and Blade had come up on either side of Eiri and hooked their arms through his. With a little twist, his arms were pinned behind his back.

Eiri growled at his missed chance.

In the back of the ambulance, tears flowed down Shuichi’s face. He wanted to go to his husband, but was being restrained by the paramedics. All this was his fault. Why was it that he caused so much trouble for not just the people he loved, but for others as well? “Karin,” he sobbed quietly. Everyone went silent. “I am truly sorry for what happened.”

Aghast, Eiri barked, “Shuichi!”

A surge of rage flowed through Karin. How dare he? “Save your excuses!”

“I didn’t mean for Yasashii to die.” That was truth.

Shuichi could still remember being trapped underneath Yasashii. Could still feel the mind numbing terror of looking into the eyes of a deranged madman who had lost all sense of reality. Could still see Yasashii’s face filling his vision as he leaned in for a kiss.

 _“Our first kiss, Shu,”_ he had whispered.

Shuichi could still hear his plea. _“Don't do this,”_ he had begged as tears coursed down his cheeks.

But his plea had fallen once again onto deaf ears. _“I love you, Shu-han,”_ Yasashii had whispered right before their lips touched.

Shuichi could still feel Yasashii’s lips against his. His nausea intensified.

In order to get free, Shuichi’d had to think fast. As revolting as kissing the man had been, Shuichi surprised Yasashii by kissing back. Just as he had been hoping, Yasashii’s grip on him loosened enough for him to slip free by smashing his fists into his face.

That final rejection had been the last straw. Yasashii had charged him. If Eiri had not warned him in time, who knows what would have happened.

But, like a man possessed, Yasashii had proven he was far from finished and charged him.

He really had not meant for Yasashii to die. He would never wish something so cruel on his worst enemy. Maybe if the railing had been properly secured things would have turned out differently, or maybe if he had played along a little more until Eiri could save him…. Thoughts like these were constantly going through his mind.

“It’s too bad you didn’t die along with him!”

A lone tear trickled down Shuichi’s cheek.

With a low growl, Eiri struggled against the vise-like grips on his arms. How dare she? Who did this bitch think she was? Shuichi was the victim. Yasashii got what he deserved. “Your brother was a fucked up fruit loop! And you’re no better!”

Karin’s rage turned her face lobster red. “How dare you!”

“I dare because it’s true! He murdered Jacob and Koji and then kidnapped Shuichi from right in front of our apartment! He followed Shuichi night and day! He’d had someone take photos of us that he’d intended to use as blackmail! He’d had another guy bug the studio! He would’ve raped Shuichi if Shuichi hadn’t’ve fought back!”

Karin refused to listen to any of this trash! How dare they slander her older brother’s good name? Yasashii had always been a saint. He was a good boy. “Liar! Yasashii would never do something like that! He loved Shuichi!”

Eiri barked out a laugh. Why was it that the loved ones of the accused were always deluding themselves to the obvious? “Please! He wouldn’t’ve known what love was if it bit him on the ass! Your brother was insane and got what he deserved!”

“Bastard!”

“Bring it on, Bitch! I’ll murder you where you stand!”

“Is that a threat?”

“That’s a promise!”

“Karin,” Shuichi whispered through his tears from the ambulance. “It really was an accident. We were fighting and--the railing broke--I never would have wished something like that onto my worst enemy.”

“Fuck you!” Karin refused to believe any of the vile insults spewing from their mouths. Yasashii was her brother. She knew him better than anyone did. He would never do what he was being accused of. She would certainly never believe that his death had been an accident. Never! Yasashii was smarter than that.

“All you have to do is ask the building superintendent,” Shuichi was saying. “Even ours was a little loose. You remember, Eiri.” He turned pleading violet eyes towards his husband.

Eiri’s gaze softened as he stared into his devastated husband’s face. He nodded. “It’s true, Karin,” he admitted in soft, calm voice as he turned around to face the woman. They had to have it fixed when the twins were born.

Karin shook her head vigorously. Never! Never would she believe their lies! She knew the truth even if nobody else did. “You killed him! You killed him! You killed him! You killed him,” she chanted. Spittle flew from her mouth. Her struggles against her captors increased. She could not feel the stinging bite of the handcuffs as they dug into the tender, sensitive flesh around her wrists.

Shuichi’s sobs deepened. The guilt and the pain that he had tried so hard to move passed resurfaced as if he had not been in therapy for the last seven years.

Her accusation pissed off Eiri. “Why the hell would Shuichi waste his time with a low life like your brother?”

“You’re dead,” she spit vehemently.

Lieutenant Katsuragi had had enough. “That’s it. Get her out of here,” he commanded.

“Yes, Sir.”

Karin was dragged back to the police car by several police officers. Protesting being manhandled like a piece of meat, she lashed out at the officers. Kicking, biting, spitting and hurling threats and allegations, she screamed, “Don’t be fooled by those innocent puppy dog eyes! He’s an evil, vile, sorry excuse for a human being! He stole my brother’s heart and ripped it in two!”

As Shuichi watched through tear-blurred vision as Karin was shoved into the back of the police car none-too-gently, a jolt of pain shot through his abdomen. Hissing, his hands flew to his belly. He squeezed his eyes closed against the pain.

“Shindou-san?”

“Shindou-san? Are you alright, Sir?”

Panicked voices surrounded him.

Doubled over, Shuichi forced himself to breath as the cramp passed. Pasting a smile on, Shuichi said, “It’s nothing. I’m okay,” as he slowly unfurled himself.

His mind, though, started working overtime. Something was wrong, seriously wrong. He didn’t know how to explain it, but there was a pressure that had not been there just minutes earlier. It was a low, heavy weight in his lower abdomen. Almost as if he had to go to the bathroom, but was being forced to hold it and now his bladder felt as if it was on the verge of bursting, like a balloon that has been blown up too much. His mother described it once as the baby “dropping”. He had never understood that saying until he had Keitaro and Kane. It was strange, but his kimono actually seemed to sit differently around him. And he found it easier to draw a breath. As if there had been a weight upon his chest that was no longer there. It was something he had not noticed until now. Or maybe it was all in his head. One of the things that he knew was not part of his overactive imagination was the cramping that started in his lower back before engulfing his entire abdomen.

He wrapped his arms around his belly and clenched his teeth to keep a scream that was rising from bubbling out.

Please, God, no. It was too soon. It was way too soon. But all the pleading in the world did nothing to stymie the sickening realization that he was going into labor.

 

* * *

 

 **Section From:** _Gravitation: A Shindou Shuichi Autobiography_

In the time of William Shakespeare, it was believed that if a person was sexually assaulted then that was blatant evidence that that person was not “pure” or as “innocent” as he or she claimed to be. In that way, to be raped was a punishment handed out from God for a person’s “immoral ways”. The victim was never pitied. A victim was never a victim. Fault was never laid on the feet of the rapist. It did not matter that rape is never about sex, but about power and control. What was believed was that a victim of rape must have done something to allow him or herself to be violated. For if you were of a pure soul, this hideous deed never would have happened in the first place because the assailant would have seen the purity within you and hesitated.

If only it were that simple.

The day such an unspeakable act happened to me, those were the exact thoughts that keep flitting through my mind. I was being punished. Me, a guy in love with and having a sexual relationship with another guy and not just any ordinary guy, but a romance novelist, Japan’s most eligible bachelor.

To think that someone of Eiri’s caliber would ever return my feelings, would ever want a stupid baka like me at his side to have and to hold until death do we part, to think that he would ever see me as anything other than his little fuck hole had been a laughable dream. But I loved him still the same. Even if I was not the only one. Even if I was only his boy toy. Even if he hated the ground I walked on. None of that ever mattered to me. This was why I “allowed” what happened to me to happen. Though, it did not ease the effect being violated had.

Since everyone is always telling me that my face is like an open book, that it is impossible for me to lie, Hiro knew right away what had happened to me when he raced out of his apartment into the pouring rain and saw me lying there on the side of the road, a broken, battered, bleeding and defiled mess.

Neither he nor Eiri know the gruesome details of that horrible night. They know some of what happened to me, but not all of it. Not even the psychiatrist I went to see knows to the extent I was violated and humiliated. They never will. I do not intend to ever tell what happened that night to anyone.

Riku told me a story one time about a classmate of his, a girl in one of his creative writing classes back at NYU. For this specific creative writing class they were in together, they had to write three short stories over the course of the semester and for her first assignment, she wrote a story about a girl in college who instead of going to see her grandfather in the hospital who had suffered another heart attack, for some reason, she opted to wait until the weekend. Unfortunately, the next day, she received a phone call from her mother just as she was getting ready for school. Her grandfather had passed away.

“After she read the story aloud, the class discussed it and there was this one girl, a friend of mine, who said it sounded to her as if the girl in the story was scared,” Riku told me.

“Of what?” I asked.

“Well, in the story she compared the grandfather to Superman.”

Superman is said to be invincible, immune to just about everything, but in the end, even he fell.

“I talked to her after class and she admitted that the story was inspired by actual events.”

But I knew that already, having been involved with a writer since I was a senior in high school and being one myself. One of the first rules you learn is to write what you know.

Riku went on to say that this girl had always been haunted by the sudden passing of her grandfather during her first semester of college. I will not get into the details surrounding the girl’s private life here, but suffice it to say that her grandfather’s passing affected her to such a degree that she ended up falling into a mild depression, which led to her eventual dropping out of school after the first semester of her second year. Here it was nearly four years later and she still had not completely gotten over it.

“But she said that when my friend said what she did, it literally felt like a weight had been lifted from her.”

I understood what my son was trying to tell me.

So one night, after everyone had gone to bed, I snuck to the study and sat down before my computer to write down every single last detail I could remember from that night. Afterwards, I printed out what I had written and after reading it through once, burned the pages in the fireplace.

I have to admit, I am truly glad I took Riku’s advice. That night, for the first time since I was raped all those years ago, I actually slept peacefully through the night.

But in the days following my rape, despite being pressured by everyone around me, I had no intention of seeing a shrink. All I wanted was for this to be over. I just wanted to forget it ever happened. To speak about it made it real. It made me relive it again and again and again, just like in my dreams every single night.

I threw myself into my relationship with Eiri and the rising popularity of Bad Luck, anything to keep myself from remembering such a terrible event.

Besides, I kept telling myself that it was not really rape. You cannot rape the willing. I allowed it to happen so that Eiri would be kept safe. Even after being dumped by the only man that I had ever and would ever love, I would never allow Eiri to get hurt. I did not want his good name to be slurred or slandered. I wanted to protect him because I loved him, even if he did not feel the same way about me. But that logic did not stop my nightmares and finally Eiri had had enough. He bodily dragged me in to see his psychiatrist (yes, he sees one as well, but do not tell him I told you).

It helped seeing her, but I still had nightmares. I still woke up at all hours of the night in a cold sweat, screaming, but not as often. The nightmares came less and less. Though they did not vanish all together.

Then it started up all over again when Bad Luck returned to Japan from our Loveless world tour to find out that Eiri and I had a new neighbor.

The second I met him, I knew something was off. Then the nightmares started. A month later, thirty-some-odd days after everyone told me I was crazy and that I was jumping at shadows, he lured my bodyguards to their deaths and then abducted me. He would have raped me and who knows what else he would have done, but unlike what happened with Aizawa, Rinjin was alone. He had not hired two thugs off the street to help him subdue an eighteen-year-old boy who stood at a mere 165 cm and weighed no more than 110 lbs. One on one, I was able to take Rinjin out easily, but at a deadly cost.

Most days, I am fine, but then one day out of the blue it hits me. I feel his lips against mine. His heavy weight atop me. The feel of his nose shattering against my fist. I hear the splintering of the wood as the railing disintegrates beneath our combined weight. I watch as he falls through the railing and hit’s the cold floor below. I watch as the life fades from his eyes. I see it all replaying in my head over and over again. Sometimes Rinjin’s and Aizawa’s faces intermingle…

There are many events from my life that I will never forget. Like meeting Eiri one fateful night. Bad Luck being offered a deal by NG Productions, which never would have happened had Hiro actually passed his entrance exams and gotten into medical school to become a doctor like his parents wanted (which he did in fact pass I found out later). Bad Luck’s debut album, Gravity, selling a million copies. Our first national tour. The first time I heard Eiri tell me he loved me. Adopting Riku. Marrying Eiri in the living room of our old apartment. The birth of our boys and the nervous expectancy of three more. But there are two other events that are forever ingrained in my memory, being betrayed and viciously attacked by Aizawa and then being betrayed and attacked a decade later by Rinjin.

But no matter what happens, Eiri is forever by my side, loving me and protecting me and holding me whenever things become too much and that is all I can ever hope for.

 _Owari_? Not by a long shot. This story has only just begun…

 

* * *

 

**Six Months Later - July - Shindou-Uesugi Residence - Nara, Japan**

A ghost of a smile flitting across his face, Eiri ran his fingers over the embossed front cover of the surprisingly thick book where white characters spelled out the title, _Gravitation: A Shindou Shuichi Autobiography._

Eiri crossed the study towards the wall of built in bookshelves, but paused before the end table besides the chaise lounge where a photograph rested. Setting his husband’s autobiography down on the table, he picked up the photo. It pictured Shuichi and he in scrubs holding three of the tiniest bundles that combined would still not add up to how much Kira weighed when he was born. It had been taken six months ago by Maiko the day Yosuke, Yukiko and Shinta were born.

Nobody was sure if it was the shock of being shot or being thrown to the ground by Satoshi that had caused Shuichi to go into labor, but being only twenty-seven weeks along, everybody had been unsure about to what expect.

At thirteen weeks premature, his children had fit into the palm of his hand with perfect ease. Even the smallest diapers that the hospital could provide seconded as jumpsuits. All those wires and tubes and machines they had been hooked up to for the better part of three or four months while inside those clear coffins had almost been too much.

The memory had Eiri’s knuckles turning white as his tightened grip threatened to shatter the gold frame.

He could remember rushing out of the house and seeing Shuichi on the ground with his sister by his side. The shoulder of his white kimono stained red with blood.

If the police had not stopped him, Eiri would even now be locked up in prison awaiting trial, for he would have murdered that bitch. Nobody messed with his family and got away with it, not God, not Buddha, not some psychotic cunt with an axe to grind, no one. Part of him still longed to get his hands on her even now.

 

* * *

 

**Women’s Federal Prison**

Sitting cross-legged on the tatami mats in her cell that was nothing more than a hole in the wall, Karin’s eyes popped open. She stared out the barred window sitting high up in the wall at the quickly darkening sky.

 _“Your brother was a fucked up fruit loop,”_ came the enraged accusation in her head.

Her hazel eyes grew hard and cold. Her hands lying loosely on her legs clenched.

How dare he? Yasashii was the victim in all this. He had been kind and caring and gentle and loving as both a son and older brother. He had put his life on hold after their parents passed away in order to take care of her. She would never be able to repay Yasashii back for everything he did for her, but then Shindou Shuichi appeared. Yasashii was never the same after he went to Zepp Tokyo that fateful night to see ASK and it was all Shindou’s fault. He took her brother away from her.

If he would have only returned her brother’s feelings then all of this could have been avoided, but apparently, Shuichi was too good for a commoner like her brother.

With the restraining hands of half a dozen cops keeping her from her intended targets, Karin could still remember what she said that day as tears poured down her face. _“Don’t be fooled by those innocent puppy dog eyes! He is an evil, vile, sorry excuse for a human being! He stole my brother’s heart and ripped it in two!”_

She smashed her fisted hand into the table.

“Just you wait, Shindou Shuichi,” she hissed. “When I get out of here, you are dead!”

 

* * *

 

**Shindou-Uesugi Residence - Nara, Japan**

Setting down the photo, Eiri glanced at his watch. Seeing how late it was becoming, he headed towards the bedroom where Shuichi should be getting ready for his CD release party.

“Shu?” he called as he entered the master suite.

Empty.

He stepped back out into the hallway. “Shuichi?” Hearing a muffled voice coming from the right, Eiri followed it like a sailor hopelessly enthralled by a Siren.

As he passed the staircase, he saw Riku pacing back and forth across the foyer. Eiri gave a disgusted sigh. His son was still on the phone. Whom he was speaking to all this time, Eiri had no idea, but the light blush that colored his face had Eiri’s eyebrows rising.

Riku had miraculously completely healed from his compression fracture without any lasting side effects and had plans of returning to New York in a few weeks to finish his last semester at NYU and then come January, he would move here to Japan permanently to get his masters degree. Eiri was not sure if Riku planned to get his own place or not. They had not talked about it. Yoshiki was already whining about being left all alone.

 _“What about Rage?”_ Shuichi had asked her.

Yoshiki had said nothing, but she had blushed. Eiri was not sure he wanted to know.

Eiri peeked into the boys’ room. Keitaro and Kane were sitting on the floor deeply engrossed in some racing game. At least they were starting to get along.

“It’s time for bed.”

A chorus of groans met his statement.

“A little longer?” Kane pleaded in an eerily similar whining voice as his mother.

An image of Shuichi flashed through Eiri’s head. He shuddered just thinking about what future lay ahead. “Bed.”

“One more race?” This time it was Keitaro and he sounded exactly like his identical twin.

Eiri sighed. He was beginning to get a headache. “Fine. One more race,” he agreed over their cheers, “and then it’s bed. Got it?”

“’Kay!” the twins agreed in unison.

He started to shut the door.

“Daddy?”

“Yes, Kane?” Eiri answered stepping back into the twins room.

“Are Grandma and Grandpa coming over to watch us?”

“Yes, they are.”

Eiri watched his boys in silence for several more moments. He realized that during their conversation, neither one of them once took their eyes off the television screen. He was starting to regret buying that damn gaming console for them.

Shaking his head, Eiri stepped out into the hallway and shut the bedroom door.

Grandma and Grandpa, aka Shuichi’s parents, had ended up moving into the vacant house next door along with Maiko and her two children. Shuichi enjoyed having his parents along with his baby sister and niece and nephew close by. For the longest time, Shuichi had been so busy with Bad Luck that he had not had time to do much more than exchange a quick email with Maiko. In Shuichi’s line of business, some sacrifices have to be made unfortunately. He had known that, but it had not made it any easier. So now, with his folks living next door, he could make up for lost time.

Eiri enjoyed them living so close for two reasons. One, Shuichi and he now had babysitters whenever they needed them and two, he no longer had to suffer through of one Shuichi’s mother’s guilt trips about never being able to see her grandchildren.

Shuichi and he had ended up purchasing his childhood home back in Tokyo so that they would have a place to stay when they went to Tokyo.

Crossing the hall, Eiri entered the nursery. Coming to a halt, Eiri crossed his arms over his chest and leaning back against the doorjamb, smiled at the scene before him.

Shuichi’s hair was in newly choppy short layers with neon pink streaks racing through it. Though he still had another ten pounds to lose, Shuichi had quickly returned to his pre-baby weight.

A self-satisfied smirk crossed Eiri’s face.

In a pair of blue jeans and a graphic tee underneath a white button down shirt, Shuichi looked good enough to eat. It was too bad they had to be somewhere in half an hour.

Quietly singing one of the songs off his solo debut CD but at a slower speed, which turned the fast tempo song into more of a ballad, Shuichi rocked a small white bundle cradled gently in his arms.

**God You’re SAVE Kano no naka wa Take me it All Light**   
**for yourself TOBI sugita ORE wo tasukete**   
**God You’re SAVE nanimo wakarazu Make it true show time**   
**for yourself Taikutsu shinogi wo kasaneru**

Eiri was certainly glad that Shuichi was safe. If anything would have happened to him, Eiri was not sure what he would have done.

Humming softly now, Shuichi was gently swaying from side to side.

Eiri thanked whatever all-knowing, all-powerful being was out there every single day he woke up to find his baka asleep besides him. Or maybe he should thank the police. For, if they had not had the foresight to equip them all with bulletproof vests as part of their plan to capture the wanted fugitive who was out for blood, who knows what would have happened. Or better yet, maybe he should thank Karin for her crappy aim. Even with the scope that had been attached to the high power rifle, she had not been able to do much more than graze Shuichi’s shoulder.

He was not sure how that happened. Maybe God really did exist and he (or possibly she) had intervened with Fate for what Shuichi and he were told, Karin was an excellent marksman. Apparently, a distant relative of hers was in law-enforcement and taught both her and her brother how to shoot when they were younger. That was where she acquired the rifle from it seems. So, how she could have possibly missed was beyond him, but for which Eiri would be eternally grateful.

Karin’s trial was set for some time next spring. Until then, she was safely locked away in the federal prison far away from them. Apparently her attorney was trying to play the “not guilty by way of temporary insanity” card for Karin was not denying anything she did. Eiri absolutely despised such an excuse. If you were man enough to do the deed, then be man enough to take responsibility. It did not matter whether she was considered legally incompetent because of some psychiatric disorder or was showing a lack of reason or foresight or not. Yes, being institutionalized would help with whatever mental disorder had brought about the psychotic episode, but that was not a punishment for the crimes she had committed. Whether under the guise of some mental illness or not, guilty was guilty. It did not change the fact that she had committed a crime and needed to be punished accordingly.

It was like having two criminals, one male, the other female. Both commit a murder. The murders are identical in every way. They are both caught. A trial ensues. Guilty verdicts are handed down for both. The man gets life without the possibility of parole. The woman is sentenced to twenty-five years. Why would you give two different sentences when the only difference was that one of the criminals was a man and the other was a woman?

Shuichi’s tender, angelic voice cut through his thoughts.

**God You’re SAVE Itaikena ORE wo tasukete**   
**for yourself Ima sarana inori wa kikazu**   
**God You’re SAVE ORE no KARADA wa Make it true show time**   
**for yourself Sukui no kami ni yowasareru**

**God You’re SAVE…**   
**for yourself…**   
**God You’re SAVE…**   
**for yourself…**

**God You’re SAVE.**

Smiling, Eiri pushed away from the doorframe and strode silently into the room.

Shuichi gave a start when he felt arms slip around his waist.

“Hey,” Eiri greeted. He pressed his lips into the crook of Shuichi’s neck.

Shuichi smiled over his shoulder at his husband. “Hey,” he croaked.

They kissed briefly.

Resting his chin on Shuichi’s shoulder, Eiri tightened his hold on his husband and glanced down at the sleeping bundle being rocked gently.

Uesugi-Shindou Takara Yukiko, or “Little Yuki” as Shuichi called her, had a head of jet-black hair just like her mama, but she had Daddy’s eyes. Her twin brothers, Uesugi-Shindou Kaito Yosuke and Uesugi-Shindou Kaisei Shinta, had blond hair, but had violet eyes like their mama. Where Yosuke and Shinta were quiet, Yuki definitely had her mama’s lungs.

“You did good, Baby,” Eiri said.

A rosy tiny on his cheeks, Shuichi gently pulled out of his husband’s arms and returned his daughter to her crib.

Eiri cocked his head to study Shuichi’s tight ass as the man bent over.

Folding an arm over the railing, Shuichi reached out to caress his daughter’s warm, soft cheek with his knuckle. Pulling back, he rubbed the sudden tears from his eyes and cleared his throat to loosen it.

Even after six months, it was still hard to think back to the triplets’ birth.

Last December, Karin nearly took Riku, Keitaro and Kane away from him and then when he was shot back in January, she nearly took Yosuke, Yuki and Shinta from him.

Yosuke, Yuki and Shinta were so premature when they were born that Dr. Watabe, Shuichi’s gynecologist, warned Eiri and him that there was a very good possibility that the triplets might not make it through the night, but here it was six months later and his babies had beaten the odds.

Straightening, Shuichi turned to face his husband.

Eiri reached out and enfolded Shuichi in his arms. “Ready?” he asked, wrapping his arms around Shuichi’s waist.

With a smile on his face, Shuichi wrapped his arms around Eiri’s neck and nodded. He was more than ready. This was something he had been waiting for for more than a decade.

“It’s just too bad you lost your voice.”

Shuichi shrugged. It is not as if it was the first time. As a singer, it was a staple in his life.

Eiri turned thoughtful. “Or maybe that is a good thing.”

Pulling out of Eiri’s arms, Shuichi slapped his husband playfully. Frowning, he pouted dramatically.

Eiri chuckled. His baka was so cute. Draping an arm around Shuichi’s shoulders possessively, Eiri guided them out of the nursery and down the hall towards their bedroom suite. “Come on. Don’t wanna be late.”

“Dad! Mama,” came Riku’s voice. “Grandma and Grandpa are here!”

Eiri winced at his son’s loud set of lungs as Shuichi crossed towards the closet.

“You talk to your sister today?” Eiri asked as he sat down lightly on the bed.

“Earlier,” Shuichi croaked from the confines of the closet. He cleared his throat violently.

“How’s she doing?”

“Good, I guess. Considering it turned out that her ex-husband was involved with Rinjin this whole time.” Shuichi’s voice, what little there was of it, was barely a whisper by the end.

“Hm.”

Eiri still had a hard time wrapping his mind around his ex-brother-in-law’s involvement in this whole case. It still was not known to what extent he was involved; he claimed he was innocent--not that anybody was surprised. Someone could be videotaped beating another person to death and he would still protest his guilt. But Karin claimed he was just as guilty as she was. Whether he was guilty of anything more than being her chauffer or not, the fact of the matter was, it appears the two of them had been more than just lovers for quite some time.

“How do I look?”

Eiri lifted his head. His eyes went wide at the sight of Shuichi. He sat up straight and drank in every last ounce of his lithe husband.

In a dark navy blue thigh length trench coat over a tight, sleeveless zipper up vest that showed his flat abdomen that gave no evidence of there being three living souls within it just six short months ago, black leather pants so tight Eiri was sure he would need a can opener to get Shuichi out of them later on tonight (but was in great expectation of the challenge), a black belt cinched around his waist and another hanging low around his hips, heeled boots and fingerless black gloves, Shuichi looked like the demon he descended from; an incredibly drop dead sexy demon that Eiri was just itching to defile.

Blushing at the attention and the blatant hunger that Eiri refused to hide; Shuichi held out his hands and twirled. His coat flared out around him.

Standing up, Eiri crossed towards him. Grabbing Shuichi’s hands, Eiri yanked Shuichi against him.

Shuichi mouthed a yelp in surprise. He wrapped his arms around Eiri’s neck and molded himself against Eiri. Something hard was pressing against his stomach. Rising up on his tiptoes, Shuichi whispered voice cracked into Eiri’s very sensitive ear, “Is that your cellphone, or are you just happy to see me?”

Eiri suppressed a shudder. Shuichi was going to pay for that. Dipping his head, Eiri whispered, “Why don’t we just skip the party,” right before their lips met.

 

* * *

 

**Osaka Convention Center - Osaka, Japan**

“Giving you new music first, that was Tomatic with ‘I Need An Angel’ here on KIIS 98.5! We have Madonna, Cascada, Fabulous, Abingdon Boys School, Tamaki Nami, Saga and Jessy McCartney coming up, but first, we have a debut from an artist calling himself X/2012 called ‘Bird’. His album, _Time In My Heart_ , drops this fall. Now, I want you to take a close listen to this song. Is it me, or does this guy sound a lot like Shindou Shuichi? I don’t know. Tell me what you think. Here it is, X/2012 with ‘Bird’ here on the number one hit music station KIIS 98.5”

In the Convention Center in downtown Osaka overseeing last minute details for the party, a smirk slid across Seguchi Tohma’s face as the first single off Shuichi’s solo debut album blared over the speakers.

Shuichi had opted for a pseudonym because he feared the reaction people would have if they knew it was Shindou Shuichi, lead singer of Bad Luck, behind the song. He feared his name had been stigmatized and people would judge his CD before they even heard it. He wanted his music to be judged based on its own merits.

Other than the few songs like “Bird”, “Time In My Heart”, “God You’re Save”, and “Like a Cowboy”, _Time In My Heart_ was a lot different from anything Bad Luck had ever put out. It was less pop, and more hip-hop, more house. It was more like the stuff Bad Luck had been doing before they were signed onto NG Productions.

Tohma could understand Shuichi’s fears all too well and had honored his brother-in-law’s wishes.

He could not wait to tell the ex-lead singer that his fears had been unfounded. For if people’s reaction to the first single was any indication, Shuichi had another hit album under his belt.

Now if only he could talk the guys into reuniting.

 

**…The End…**


End file.
